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EUROPEAN DEFENCE FUND · CYBER DEFENCE TRAINING
Preparing Europe’s cyber forces for complex operations
CITADEL Range — Cyber Infrastructure for Training in Advanced Defence Exercises and Learning develops interoperable tools and frameworks for realistic cyber defence training, exercises and mission rehearsal.
ESI is a member of the European consortium coordinated by CR14 in Estonia.
What the project develops
CITADEL Range builds capabilities that work with existing cyber ranges: controlled environments where teams can practise cyber operations. Its modular approach lets organisations adopt individual tools while supporting cooperation across national boundaries.
Realistic training
Digital twins and AI support richer training environments and scenarios, helping teams prepare for demanding operational situations.
Interoperable capabilities
Shared approaches to scenario description, pooling and sharing help connect cyber-range resources and support joint exercises.
Defence readiness
The work covers cross-border exercises, including classified environments, and the integration of cyber into wider multi-domain exercises.
ESI’s participation
The European Commission’s consortium list identifies ESI under its legal name, FONDATSIYA EVROPREYSKI SOFTUEREN INSTITUT, Bulgaria. ESI participates alongside European research organisations, defence-industry companies and public-sector partners.
CITADEL Range builds on work from the ACTING project, another European cyber-range collaboration involving ESI.
Project consortium
All 37 organisations listed in the European Commission’s EDF 2024 factsheet are included below, with their countries of establishment. CR14 coordinates the project. Organisation names have been formatted for readability.
Estonia
France
Germany
Austria
Slovakia
Italy
Czechia
Estonia
Belgium
Poland
Greece
Bulgaria
Portugal
Spain
Bulgaria
Poland
Finland
Italy
Romania
Greece
France
Belgium
Germany
Greece
Italy
The Netherlands
Estonia
Spain
Bulgaria
Denmark
Belgium
France
Spain
Luxembourg
Cyprus
Portugal
Germany
Source: European Commission — CITADEL Range factsheet, consortium list. © European Union, 2025; names reformatted for this page.
Project at a glance
- Programme: European Defence Fund, EDF 2024
- Topic: Next-Generation Cooperative Cyber Range (EDF-2024-DA-CYBER-NGCR-STEP)
- Grant agreement: 101224382
- Coordinator: SIHTASUTUS CR14, Estonia
- Duration: 42 months; November 2025–April 2029, as listed by AIT and the Royal Military Academy
- Activities: studies, design, system prototyping, testing and qualification
Public information and contact
European Commission factsheet (PDF) · AIT project profile · Royal Military Academy project record · Partner update on links with ACTING
Contact ESI about project cooperation →
CITADEL Range is co-funded by the European Union through the European Defence Fund, grant agreement No. 101224382. Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Latest project news
ESI participates in CITADEL Range to strengthen European cyber defence training
ESI joins European industry and research partners in CITADEL Range, an EU-supported project advancing cyber defence training, joint exercises and mission rehearsal.
Read more