The following is an extract of news from the Holland High Tech website

The call, which opened in Jan 2026, invited high-tech entrepreneurs to work together with research organisations on innovative projects for dual-use applications within the Netherlands focus areas of space, quantum and smart materials, as defined in the Defence Strategy for Industry and Innovation 2025–2029. The SME Defence Call was developed by Holland High Tech in collaboration with the Ministries of Defence and Economic Affairs. It supports industrial research that not only strengthens the knowledge base and R&D capacity of SMEs, but also contributes to the technological autonomy and security of the Netherlands and Europe.

Gerard van der Zon, operational director Holland High Tech, comments: “The selected projects from the very first SME Defence Call demonstrate the innovative power present within the Dutch high-tech SME sector. With solutions in areas including space, quantum and smart materials, these consortia contribute to both technological innovation and the resilience and strategic autonomy of the Netherlands and Europe.”

He continues, “It is precisely the collaboration between SMEs, knowledge institutions, Holland High Tech and the Ministries of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and Defence that makes it possible to develop and apply promising dual-use technologies more quickly.”

SME Defence Call: Since the call opened earlier this year, 40 project proposals were received. Following a thorough evaluation, 24 of these projects progressed to phase 2. Those projects were required to submit a detailed project plan, which was also expertly evaluated and assessed. As a result, a total of 11 projects will now receive financial support from the SME Defence Call 2025. Discover more

Technological innovation and strategic autonomy

The chosen projects show the strength and diversity of the Dutch innovation landscape. Topics range from quantum technology and space to smart materials, photonics radar-absorbing coatings and additive manufacturing. Holland High Tech is impressed by the high level, the technological quality and the social relevance of the submitted proposals.

One of the space startups to be selected is Spherical Systems – an alumnus of ESA BIC Noordwijk, as well as the Ignition Programme – working together with NLR on the project RASSS (radiation assured semiconductors for strategic autonomy). A second of the space startups to be selected in the call is Dunedain Space working with Radboud University on project Shadow.

HIGHLIGHTED SPACE PROJECTS

• Project Shadow: Dunedain Space in collaboration with Radboud University
  Project SHADOW develops high-speed optical sensing technology to improve Space Situational Awareness (SSA). Rather than detecting objects by reflected light, SHADOW uses the occultation of stars caused by passing objects. This novel method enhances detection and tracking of satellites and space debris. Better (actionable) information can be gained in both Defense and Civil applications to prevent collisions and obtain better intel on location and specifics of (yet) unknown satellites.

• Project RASSS: Spherical Systems in collaboration with NLR
  The RASSS project develops and validates a radiation-aware semiconductor design workflow for defense and aerospace applications. Automation and radiation modeling are integrated into early design phases. Radiation test structures are fabricated on European foundry processes and tested, after which results are fed back to improve modeling and design architecture.

View full list of selected projects via the Holland High Tech website

Open call for startups with space business ideas to apply to ESA BIC Noordwijk:

The post ESA BIC alumnus Spherical and ESA Phi-Lab’s Dunedain in consortia with dual-use space applications selected for SME Defence Call appeared first on Space Business Innovation Centre Noordwijk.

Are you an SBIC community member? Get link from Slack to reserve your place!

Turn the complex funding landscape into financial gain

This is an urgent call to all those startups that are leaving significant funding on the table simply because the subsidy landscape feels too complex and time-consuming to figure out. Many startups focus instead on their day-to-day work and developing the latest technical innovation. This 1.5-hour masterclass cuts through that noise and will give you the impetus and tools to navigate your own subsidy roadmap.

In one focused session, Dynova will walk you through the full Dutch and European subsidy ecosystem covering: fiscal schemes, such as WBSO and the Innovatiebox; national programmes including MIT and EFRO; and European instruments, such as the EIC Accelerator, Eurostars and Horizon Europe. Every scheme is translated into one practical question – does this actually fit your project, your stage and your ambition?

Why attend this masterclass?

Timing is key. A number of subsidy call deadlines are approaching soon. Join this masterclass and you will be prepared to apply once the key dates roll by. You will learn how to match the right instrument to your roadmap, what evaluators are looking for in a winning application, and how to build a multi-year funding strategy rather than chasing one-off grants.

Whether you are pre-revenue, scaling up or planning your next R&D cycle, you will leave knowing exactly which funding opportunities are appropriate for you and your startup at this stage of your journey – and what to do next to start capturing them.

Important dates and imminent deadlines (list in text format here):

Subsidy areas in the spotlight

The key topics to be covered include:

• The components of the Dutch subsidy stack and how to combine them
• European instruments and when they fit your stage
• How to match the right scheme to your roadmap
• What evaluators look for in a winning application
• How to build a multi-year funding strategy

The presenters will discuss real examples of successful and rejected applications, plus there will be plenty of time for discussion of the individual situations of the participating startups.

Discover tools to navigate your startup’s subsidy roadmap >>

This masterclass offers a clear, actionable overview of the full Dutch and European subsidy landscape and will help you identify which instruments fit your roadmap, avoid common pitfalls and turn funding into a structural part of your growth plan.

Conversations can continue over lunch, starting directly after the masterclass. Reserve your place when you register for the event.

SPEAKER PROFILES

Menno Crol – Funding expert at Dynova responsible for the company’s “short term” funding proposition. He works closely with startups to guide them through the process of finding the right financial instrument.

Jarno van der Vleuten – Technical innovation consultant at Dynova who has concluded multiple successful grant applications (including Eurostars, EFRO, IMKE and MIT) that have accumulated more than 6 million euros in grand funding.

Dynova is a community partner of SBIC Noordwijk; discover more here

GOOD TO KNOW:
The event is open to all. It is free for ESA BIC Noordwijk startups and SBIC community members (check the Slack channel for your link). If you are not in our community yet, sign up for membership here! Students can get 50% discount when registering for this event. Get in touch using your institution’s email address.

Definitions of acronyms used on this page (in alphabetical order):

DEI+, Demonstratie Energie- en Klimaatinnovatie
EFRO, Europees Fonds voor Regionale Ontwikkeling
EIC, European Innovation Council
ERC, European Research Council
IMKE, Maakindustrie Klimaatneutrale Economie
LIFE, L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environnement
MIT, Mkb-innovatiestimulering Regio en Topsectoren
WBSO, Wet Bevordering Speur- en Ontwikkelingswerk

View upcoming events happening at SBIC Noordwijk >>

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High-level concepts to deep technical use cases

This exciting in-person event is dedicated to advanced space system design. Industry experts will take you from high-level concepts to deep technical use cases, including real-world industry applications, highlighting the latest capabilities in simulation, validation and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven multi-physics.

Given the limited number of places, this event is intended for companies with the ambition to leverage advanced engineering tools and capabilities for research, testing and validation, and who are exploring how these can support their current and future developments.

The technical event will be introduced by Alina Lysak, computer-aided engineering (CAE) and business development professional at In Summa. “This event offers a unique opportunity to explore niche CAE applications in the space sector and learn how AI is already transforming engineering workflows,” comments Alina. “Through real-world industry use cases and discussions with experts, attendees will gain practical insights while connecting with fellow engineers and innovators from the space community.”

Register your place at the Designing Space Systems event >>

What to expect

The first session will cover MSC Nastran and MSC Adams, industry-standard finite element method (FEM) and multibody dynamics solvers used by engineers to simulate and analyse how complex structures and mechanical components behave under physical forces. Modelling workflow will be applied to large space structures. Accelerating materials innovation with AI powered simulation will be in-focus next for mission-ready composites. This is followed by FEM validation and composite property identification for enhancing aerospace structural predictions.

After a break, the second session will see a focus on vibroacoustic simulation for structural integrity assessment. There will be two case studies – the first will be a defence industry use case from Airbus DS: “CAE fatigue and robust design assessment on vibroacoustic analysis of a space aubsystem;” and the second from Thales Alenia Space: “AI-driven multi-disciplinary optimisation of a satellite heat exchanger.” There will then be opportunity for discussions before the networking session.

Join for the post-event networking

After the main event, all participants are invited to join the NL Space Campus Network & Drinks. The monthly community event for everyone interested in space. Each edition features short pitches from start-ups and innovative companies, campus and partner updates, and plenty of opportunities to connect. Separate registration for networking is required; see here.

About: In Summa provides access to the world’s most trusted engineering simulation software, MSC Software – covering vibro-acoustic finite element analysis, computational fluid and multibody dynamics, virtual manufacturing and advanced optimisation tools. From the automotive industry to aerospace, from high-tech electronics to complex mechanical systems – In Summa’s software enables designers, engineers and analysts to predict, improve and optimise performance while reducing physical prototypes. insumma.nl

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