European Defence Agency selects PwC and partners for Project Symbiosis

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has selected a consortium of companies, including Big Four firm PwC, for its Project Symbiosis program.

Announced this week, the Project Symbiosis program seeks to align Europe’s ambitious decarbonisation targets with its strategic defence priorities. The initiative will explore how offshore renewable energy can coexist with defence operations across Europe’s maritime zones, addressing challenges and opportunities in the coexistence between offshore renewable energy installations and military activities.

“By fostering a harmonious coexistence between these two critical sectors, Project Symbiosis aims to create a sustainable blueprint for Europe’s oceans that balances ecological integrity, energy security, and national defence readiness,” said the EDA in a statement.

“Through innovative and tailored mitigation strategies, the initiative will address operational conflicts, ensuring the effectiveness of defence systems while promoting the growth of renewable energy infrastructure.”

Selected to support the program are four companies: PwC (led by its Cyprus business), Multimarine Services, SignalGeneriX, and Theophrastus Research Institute.

“This initiative represents a significant step forward in aligning Europe’s environmental objectives with its strategic defence priorities, paving the way for a resilient, energy-secure, and climate-neutral future,” said a spokesperson of PwC.

The project’s scope includes building a broader vision of sustainability and resilience, and a technical analysis for potential coexistence. The consortium said that it plans to map Europe’s five sea basins, employing advanced simulation and modelling to analyse potential conflicts and synergies between renewable energy infrastructures and defence operations.