Dual-Use Robotics and Autonomous Systems: Civil Markets Feeding Military Innovation in Europe

European policymakers have increasingly recognized that cutting-edge civilian technologies – from artificial intelligence and drones to autonomous vehicles – are pivotal for next-generation military capabilities.

The war in Ukraine starkly illustrated this point, as off-the-shelf commercial drones and AI-driven systems were rapidly repurposed for battlefield use, accelerating the trend of civil markets feeding military innovation . In response, the European Union (EU) and allied institutions have sharpened their focus on leveraging civilian tech innovation for defence.

This analysis answers: How are civilian robotics, AI, drones and autonomous vehicles becoming pivotal for next-generation military capabilities in Europe? What industrial and technological dynamics, illustrated by Ukraine's rapid repurposing of off-the-shelf drones, drive civil markets feeding military innovation? What financial, investment and regulatory frameworks shape EU leverage of civilian tech innovation for defence? What evolutionary scenarios and operational recommendations follow?