The Smart Vehicle Dynamic Controller (SVDC) project has officially launched, marking a major step forward in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into military vehicle systems. Supported by the European Commission through the European Defence Fund (EDF), the development project aims to strengthen the EU’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) and advance Europe’s strategic autonomy in critical defence technologies.

At the kick-off event in Madrid, hosted by project coordinator Piedrafita, the SVDC consortium presented its vision for developing an edge-computing device capable of operating entirely offline and certifiable for military use. Leveraging advanced AI algorithms, this system will autonomously monitor and adjust vehicle sub-systems dynamically, significantly enhancing operational efficiency.

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Mollefait, Maxime, Marketing Officer stated: "SVDC strengthens Europe’s ability to equip military vehicles with smarter, more adaptive control systems. dotOcean is excited to contribute our knowledge in mission-driven robotics to this shared goal."

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By relying exclusively on European technologies, SVDC will protect sensitive intellectual property and safeguard the strategic interests of EU Member States, ensuring that critical defence capabilities remain under European control. Over the next 36 months, the project will deliver a breakthrough solution to address current capability gaps and position Europe at the forefront of military AI innovation.

The SVDC consortium is led by Piedrafita and brings together six Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) fromfive EU Member States, alongside two subcontractors (one SME and one mid-cap company). The partnership has been carefully structured to ensure strong synergies and complementarity across all participants, drawing on Europe’s deep expertise in AI, defence engineering and edge computing.

A Project Selected by the European Defence Fund 

TheSVDC project was selected by the European Commission for funding under the European Defence Fund (EDF) in 2025.

The EDF is the Commission’s instrument for supporting research and development actions in the defence sector. It's main objectives are to foster cooperation between companies, including SMEs and Research and Technology Organisations(RTOs) throughout the Union, to promote the development of defence capabilities through investment and to help EU companies develop advanced and interoperable defence technologies and equipment.

Learn more about the European Defence Fund here.

Contact information

• Isabel Ligués De LaCruz
  isabel.ligues@piedrafita.com

• Ana Guedán Carbonell
  ana.guedan@piedrafita.com

Consortium:

Piedrafita Systems (Spain) | C&V Defence (Belgium) | ME Mobil Elektronik (Germany) | Baltijos Pazangiu Technologiju Institutas (BPTI),Lithuania | Vetronics Research Centre EU (Cyprus) | Additess Advanced Integrated Technology Solutions& | Services (Cyprus)
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Supporting countries:

DOTOCEAN (Belgium) | Sierra Tango (Belgium)

Co-funded by the European Union.Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do notnecessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union northe granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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