The Digital Europe Programme (DEP), with a substantial budget of €8.1 billion, aims to bridge the gap between research and market for digital technologies, particularly focusing on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), supercomputing, and data infrastructure.

Recently, the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) leaked a draft work programme that outlines upcoming calls for proposals related to AI cybersecurity tools and countering threats from quantum computing.

The 2025 cybersecurity calls are anticipated to open in the first half of the year, with evaluations scheduled for early 2026, although specific dates are still pending confirmation.

This draft work programme, dated December 2024, represents the first for new DEP calls and aims to mobilize €353 million from 2025 to 2027, subject to final budget adjustments.

Of this budget, €127 million is allocated for new technologies, specifically focusing on AI and transitioning to post-quantum cryptography.

The programme includes three annual calls totaling €45 million, aimed at developing AI-based cybersecurity tools to enhance threat analysis, detection, and prevention for national authorities.

Additionally, the work programme allocates €111 million for implementing the Cyber Solidarity Act, which is designed to improve detection and response to cyber threats across Europe.

Another €106 million is designated for enhancing cyber resilience through actions such as reinforcing the network of National Coordination Centres and supporting cybersecurity regulations.

The initiative also aims to facilitate the adoption of innovative cybersecurity solutions by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often lack the resources for self-protection.

Funded projects will create toolkits to help SMEs manage cyber risks, leveraging results from Horizon Europe initiatives.

To address the emerging threats posed by quantum computing, the ECCC plans to invest €25 million in a European infrastructure for testing post-quantum cryptography systems, which will be accessible to companies, researchers, and public organizations.

Looking ahead, a €10 million initiative is planned for 2026, focusing on dual-use technologies to foster cooperation between civil and defense sectors through prototypes and infrastructure development.