Latest news with #EuropeanDefenceFund
Euronews
17-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Foreign defense companies can now test weapons in Ukraine
Foreign defence companies can now test their newest weapons in Ukraine, according to a new programme launched on Thursday. Brave1, a defence technology incubator supported by the Ukrainian government, announced the 'Test in Ukraine' initiative, where allied governments could hand over prototypes for drones, loitering munitions, naval drones, electronic warfare systems and AI-driven products for testing on the battlefield. In exchange, Brave1 would return with a detailed report about how it performed on the battlefield and suggest any additional real-time changes that would have to be made. Participants of the programme would also be matched with a Ukrainian manufacturer working on a similar technology for 'co-production and faster deployment'. 'We're ready to help companies from partner nations develop, test, and refine technologies that actually work on the battlefield,' Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, said in a press release. 'This is a chance to gain experience that simply cannot be simulated in a lab'. Ukraine gets involved with EU rearmament efforts Brave1's announcement comes after a series of recent initiatives to bring Ukrainian defence tech start-ups into the broader EU rearmament effort. Last week, the incubator announced the BraveTechEU partnership, which will see up to €100 million split between Brave1, the European Defence Fund (EDF), and the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) to build new technologies by funding defence hackathons, investor matchmaking and research. The EU also activated a €150 billion "SAFE" loan instrument that lets states borrow money for joint defence projects. At least 65 per cent of the weapons' components have to be sourced from within the EU or Ukraine. It launched a joint EU-Ukraine Force on Defence Industrial Cooperation to integrate Ukraine into the 'defence-tech ecosystem'. Ukraine also signed a €67 million deal with Denmark to let their defence companies build their designs on Danish soil, which is the first of its kind. Major European defence companies, including Sweden's SAAB, Norway's Kongsberg, French-German KNDS, Germany's Rheinmetall, and the US's Raytheon, are reportedly expanding their presence on the ground, according to a June press release from Ukraine's ministry of defence. Still, experts previously told Euronews Next that Ukraine should be included in 'common planning,' with the EU because they are able to provide comments and criticisms of classic weapons that make up a good portion of their procurement strategies.
Broadcast Pro
08-05-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
ST Engineering iDirect leads Phase 2 of European Protected Waveform project
Backed by 35m from the European Defence Fund, Phase 2 unites 22 organisations from 12 EU nations to prototype a secure, interoperable waveform aligned with IRIS² and GovSatCom initiatives. ST Engineering iDirects EU Satcom Centre of Excellence, based in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, has announced the launch of Phase 2 of the European Protected Waveform (EPW) project. The initiative, led by Belgiums Ministry of Defence with ST Engineering iDirect Europe as the consortium lead, marks a major step forward in Europes pursuit of secure, resilient and autonomous satellite communication systems. The EPW project is a collaborative effort involving 22 organisations from 12 EU Member States, bringing together expertise from the public sector, industry and academia. Its objective is to develop an advanced, end-to-end waveform solution tailored to meet the complex demands of military and critical government communications, particularly in contested and evolving operational environments. Building on the foundational work completed in Phase 1, which laid the groundwork for the waveforms design, the second phase of the project will focus on prototyping and integrating the EPW system. A key aim is to ensure that the system is fully secure and interoperable, aligning with the strategic priorities of major European initiatives such as the upcoming IRIS² satellite constellation and the EUs GovSatCom programme. Theo Francken, Belgian Minister of Defence, said: 'Together with ST Engineering iDirect Europe, we are investing in the backbone of modern military operations: secure and reliable communication. With support from the European Defence Fund, we are advancing technological innovation, strengthening strategic autonomy, and enhancing the safety of our troops. In todays uncertain world, European cooperation in research and development is not a luxury its an absolute necessity. This project aligns perfectly with our broader mission to modernise Defence and deepen European collaboration in R&D.' Koen Willems, Vice President, EU Programmes, at ST Engineering iDirect Europe, added: 'The advancement to EPW Phase 2 underscores the strategic importance of this initiative to bolster European autonomy in secure satellite communications. This recognition by the European Defence Fund demonstrates the urgent necessity to address emerging threats and foster resilience for critical operations across Europe.' The total investment in the EPW project now stands at 65m, with 35m dedicated to Phase 2 following the 30m allocation in Phase 1. This investment highlights Europes commitment to advancing protected satellite communications and strengthening collaborative defence capabilities among its Member States.
Cision Canada
07-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
ST Engineering iDirect Leads the European Protected Waveform Consortium into Phase 2
Setting the EU standard for secure, adaptable and interoperable satellite communications to support military operations and the IRIS² constellation SINT-NIKLAAS, Belgium, May 7, 2025 /CNW/ -- ST Engineering iDirect's EU Satcom Centre of Excellence, ST Engineering iDirect Europe, based in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, today announced the advancement of the European Protected Waveform (EPW) project to its second phase. Under the leadership of Belgium's Ministry of Defence and with ST Engineering iDirect Europe as the consortium lead, this milestone marks significant progress in enhancing secure and autonomous satellite communications for Europe. The project brings together a consortium of 22 organisations from 12 EU Member States, encompassing experts from industry, government and academia. This collaborative effort aims to develop a comprehensive, end-to-end waveform solution designed to ensure resilient and secure communications for military operations and critical government needs in increasingly complex operational environments. With the foundation established during Phase 1 that laid the framework for the waveform's initial development, Phase 2 focuses on the prototyping and integration of the EPW system. The goal is to provide secure, interoperable systems that align with Europe's strategic initiatives, including the future IRIS² satellite constellation and the EU GovSatCom programme. "Together with ST Engineering iDirect Europe, we are investing in the backbone of modern military operations: secure and reliable communication," said Theo Francken, Belgian Minister of Defence. "With support from the European Defence Fund, we are advancing technological innovation, strengthening strategic autonomy, and enhancing the safety of our troops. In today's uncertain world, European cooperation in research and development is not a luxury — it's an absolute necessity. This project aligns perfectly with our broader mission to modernise Defence and deepen European collaboration in R&D." "The advancement to EPW Phase 2 underscores the strategic importance of this initiative to bolster European autonomy in secure satellite communications," said Koen Willems, Vice President, EU Programmes, at ST Engineering iDirect Europe. "This recognition by the European Defence Fund demonstrates the urgent necessity to address emerging threats and foster resilience for critical operations across Europe." The total investment in the EPW project now stands at €65 million, with €35 million dedicated to Phase 2 following the €30 million allocation in Phase 1. This investment highlights Europe's commitment to advancing protected satellite communications and strengthening collaborative defence capabilities among its Member States. The European Protected Waveform (Phase 2) is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of ST Engineering iDirect Europe only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. About ST Engineering iDirect Europe ST Engineering iDirect Europe, located in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, is ST Engineering iDirect's EU Satcom Center of Excellence specialising in the development of ground segment technology and solutions specifically for the EU. As a legal Belgian entity, ST Engineering iDirect Europe has its own board of directors to comply to the guidelines and conditions as put forward by the EU Commission and the Belgian Government. With over 35 years of experience, the ST Engineering iDirect portfolio of high-value product lines and services in addition to a dedicated team of domain specialists, and a ISO9001 certified manufacturing center the team has a portfolio of capabilities to cater to the specific needs of European funded satcoms programs.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WisdomTree Inc (WT) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Record AUM and Strong Net Inflows Amid ...
Assets Under Management (AUM): Record AUM of $115.8 billion, up 5.5% from the prior quarter. Net Inflows: $3 billion, reflecting an annualized organic growth rate of 11%. Revenue: $108 million for the quarter, 11.6% higher than the same period last year. Adjusted Net Income: $23 million or $0.16 per share. European Defence Fund Inflows: $770 million in Q1, with over $1.4 billion in net inflows year-to-date. Model Portfolios Assets Under Administration (AUA): $4 billion, up 4% to date. Tokenized Products Flows: Over $100 million in flows year-to-date. Client Growth: On track to grow the total number of clients using WisdomTree products by 4% this year. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with MHK. Release Date: May 02, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. WisdomTree Inc (NYSE:WT) achieved record assets under management (AUM) of $115.8 billion, marking a 5.5% increase from the previous quarter. The company reported net inflows of $3 billion, reflecting an annualized organic growth rate of 11%, with significant contributions from both US and European markets. The launch of the WisdomTree European Defence Fund was highly successful, attracting $770 million in Q1 and over $700 million in April, making it one of the most successful launches in the company's history. WisdomTree's model portfolios business showed strong performance with assets under advisement (AUA) reaching $4 billion, reflecting a nearly 20% annualized organic growth rate. The company is expanding its digital assets presence, with WisdomTree Prime and WisdomTree Connect gaining traction, and plans to enable on-chain transfers for users in the coming months. Revenue for the quarter was $108 million, slightly down from the previous quarter due to fewer trading days and lower average fee capture. Adjusted net income was impacted by seasonal compensation expenses, including payroll taxes and year-end bonuses. The market environment remains volatile, which could pose challenges for maintaining growth momentum. The regulatory environment for digital assets in the US remains restrictive, limiting the company's ability to expand its crypto offerings domestically. Despite the success of new fund launches, the company faces ongoing competition and pressure to innovate in a rapidly evolving market. Q: Can you provide more details about the on and off-ramp opportunities for WisdomTree Prime and the expected rollout timeline? A: Bryan Edmiston, CFO, explained that the on and off-ramps are crucial for interacting with stablecoins and other crypto assets. They plan to roll out these features over the summer, with a more extensive rollout in September, which will allow them to target the crypto-native community more effectively. Q: Are there any anticipated partner announcements related to WisdomTree Prime in September? A: Bryan Edmiston stated that while they are in discussions with potential partners and have seen early success with $100 million in flows through partner relationships, there are no specific forecasts or announcements planned for partnerships at this time. Q: How is AI being deployed at WisdomTree, and what impacts are expected? A: R. Jarrett Lilien, President and COO, mentioned that AI is being used across the company to enhance customer experience, growth, efficiency, and decision-making. They are seeing results in various departments, including sales, research, marketing, tech, and legal, aiming to improve performance and speed. Q: Can you update us on the development of your crypto funds and digital assets over the next year or two? A: Jeremy Schwartz, Global Chief Investment Officer, highlighted that in Europe, they have launched a broad 20-coin basket product with significant early capital. In the US, they are focusing on Bitcoin and exploring more offerings as the regulatory environment evolves. They are also excited about the synergy between crypto ETPs and tokenization. Q: How does the pipeline look for new ETFs? A: Jonathan Steinberg, CEO, mentioned that while they can't discuss specifics, they are continuously expanding their product offerings, focusing on themes like the European Defence Fund. They are excited about their diversified product range and its resilience in the current market. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
