Nicosia, Cyprus – 23 October 2025 - The University of Cyprus (UCY) successfully presented the European Defence Fund (EDF) project VICTORIOUS to Mr. André Denk, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), during his official visit to the KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence on 23 October 2025.
The
presentation highlighted the strategic objectives and technical ambition of VICTORIOUS
(EDF-2023-LS-RA-DIS-NT), a 36-month EDF project that kicked off
in April 2025, with a total budget of €3,999,965.26.
The project focuses on the development of an innovative AI-enhanced, remotely powered indirect fire observation system utilising unmanned vehicles, addressing critical operational needs in modern European defence environments.
During
the briefing, UCY showcased its leading role through the KIOS CoE, which
is responsible for the Work Package on “Feasibility Studies and Overall
Framework Architecture”, contributing core system-level analysis and
architectural design to the overall solution.
The project brings together 12 partners from 8 European countries, reflecting the cross-border industrial and research cooperation promoted under the European Defence Fund.
Mr.
Denk was briefed on how VICTORIOUS integrates artificial intelligence,
unmanned systems and advanced architectural frameworks to enhance
situational awareness and support indirect fire operations.
The
visit and presentation reaffirmed UCY’s and KIOS CoE’s active contribution
to EU-level defence research and capability development, as well as their
commitment to supporting the objectives of the European Defence Agency through
high-impact, collaborative R&D initiatives.