EIB, the pillar of the new economic Europe: record investments and strategic shift towards security

The European Investment Bank financed 100 billion euros in projects launched last year in the 27 Member States of the European Union, a historic record, according to Nina Calvino, the president of the bank.

At a press conference yesterday to present the EIB's activity report for the past year, Nina Calvino said: "As a pillar of the European project, supported by the united vision of its 27 shareholders, the EIB Group has increased its relevance and strategic focus, prioritizing investments that contribute to competitiveness and security, with the aim of promoting shared prosperity and democratic values across Europe and globally. In 2025, the EIB set records in four key areas: energy networks, technological innovation, housing, and security and defence."

The data from the EIB's annual activity report published yesterday supports Nina Calvino's claims. The dominant direction of financing in 2025 was unequivocally the green transition, with almost 60% of total EIB financing being directed towards climate and sustainability projects. We are talking about EUR 57 billion in financing for green projects, which supported investments of around EUR 190 billion and have already contributed to strengthening European energy security. In the European Union alone, the EIB financed EUR 33 billion worth of energy projects in 2025, mobilising almost EUR 100 billion, i.e. a third of the EU's total clean energy investment needs for this year. The impact is systemic: one in five new solar installations in Europe, one in three onshore wind investments and almost all major offshore wind projects benefited from EIB support. Beyond the numbers, the strategic message is clear: every euro invested in renewable energy reduces the structural costs of the European energy system and reduces dependence on fossil fuels, with direct effects on industrial competitiveness and geopolitical stability.

Also last year, with the launch of TechEU, the most ambitious innovation financing programme in Europe's history, designed to mobilise up to euro250 billion by 2027, the EIB signed, in a first phase, over euro22 billion in financing for digitalisation, disruptive technologies, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital infrastructures and critical raw materials. The investments support the Union's strategic autonomy in decisive areas such as chips, quantum computing, biotechnology, health tech and new materials, in a global context marked by economic fragmentation and tough technological competition.

Through the European Tech Champions Initiative, managed by the European Investment Fund, the EIB is tackling head-on one of Europe's major vulnerabilities: the inability to scale innovative companies. The programme has already mobilised euro2.5 billion and contributed to the emergence of nine European tech unicorns, a clear signal that Europe is starting to retain the value created on its own territory.

A major strategic shift in 2025 was the EIB's explicit and accelerated entry into the security and defence area. With over euro4 billion in new financing, almost 5% of total European operations, the bank supported military infrastructure, dual-use mobility - civil and military, the defence industry, research and development of critical technologies, from drones and sensors for submarine cables to advanced industrial capabilities. The message is clear: security is no longer a marginal area for European financing, but a basic condition for prosperity, and the EIB is positioning itself as the financial pillar of European strategic autonomy.

Nina Calvino warned that "the EIB is not the European Ministry of Defense”, that the banking institution will finance projects in this field, but that the projects in question "will be determined by each individual state in terms of the desired military equipment or infrastructure in this field”, and that she does not rule out that financing provided by the bank could be complementary to that obtained through private equity funds by defense joint ventures.

In parallel, cohesion policy has gained an unprecedented scale. Almost half of the EIB's financing in 2025 went to less developed regions of the Union, supporting transport infrastructure, urban mobility, energy efficiency, rail networks and local economic development. With over 42 billion euros in allocated financing and around 120 billion euros in supported investments, the bank is sending an essential social and economic signal: talent is evenly distributed in Europe, opportunities are not. Therefore, the EIB's role is to reduce this structural fracture.

Agriculture and bioeconomy represent another strategic direction that consolidated in 2025, with financing of almost EUR 8 billion and investments mobilised of around EUR 30 billion. Through a dedicated EUR 3 billion programme, the EIB supported young farmers, the green transition, food security and agro-industrial innovation. The importance of the sector is twofold - economic and geopolitical, in a global context marked by food volatility and increasing climate pressures.

The social component also became, last year, a central pillar of the EIB's activity, which invested heavily in health, education and housing, allocating over EUR 10 billion in social infrastructure. Financing for education and skills exceeded EUR 5.7 billion, while that for housing increased by almost 50%, reaching EUR 5 billion. The new European platform for affordable housing indicates a paradigm shift: access to housing is no longer treated only as a social issue, but as a key factor in European competitiveness and demographic stability.

Globally, the EIB strengthened its role as a geopolitical player last year through the Global Gateway. Record support for Ukraine of euro1.5 billion in 2025 confirms the EIB's positioning as a financial instrument for European resilience. Africa, Latin America and Asia remain priority areas for investment in clean energy, water, health and infrastructure, with a focus on balanced partnerships and sustainable economic impact. Looking ahead to 2026, the EIB's financing directions are already clearly defined. The second phase of the Climate Bank Roadmap, for the period 2026-2030, foresees a doubling of financing for climate change adaptation to euro30 billion, an even stronger focus on industrial competitiveness and energy security, and a radical simplification of procedures, in particular for SMEs. In parallel, TechEU will accelerate financing for artificial intelligence, critical infrastructure and strategic raw materials, and the security and defence area will continue to grow as a share of the EIB portfolio.

Overall, the European Investment Bank's financing guidelines for 2025 and 2026 describe a profound transformation: from a project bank to a bank of European economic sovereignty. Green transition, technological innovation, security, social cohesion and global partnerships are no longer separate chapters, but parts of a single strategy: strengthening Europe as an economic, industrial and political power in an increasingly unstable world.