EASA SC-VTOL amendment, EIC Accelerator Q1 cohort, IMU dual-use thresholds

EASA SC-VTOL amendment 3 extends enhanced category to hybrid-electric configurations

EASA published SC-VTOL amendment 3 this week, the most substantive update to the special condition since its 2019 introduction. The amendment extends the enhanced category to hybrid-electric configurations above 2,000 kg MTOW — a threshold that previously placed most regional air mobility concepts into the CS-23 or CS-25 certification tracks regardless of their operational profile. For ventures in that weight band, this reopens a certification pathway that had been effectively closed for three years.

Source: EASA SC-VTOL Amendment 3 — NPA 2026-03

EIC Accelerator Q1 2026 aerospace cohort: seven ventures, €42M combined

The EIC Accelerator Q1 2026 cohort included seven aerospace and defence ventures, with a combined grant and equity component of approximately €42M. Notable selections included two propulsion ventures and one company developing hyperspectral payload integration for small satellites. The EIC has now funded 23 aerospace ventures since the Accelerator's 2021 relaunch, with a median time from application to grant agreement of 14 months.

Source: EIC Accelerator Q1 2026 Results — European Innovation Council

European Commission tightens IMU dual-use export thresholds under Annex I

The European Commission published updated dual-use export control guidance this week clarifying the performance thresholds that trigger controls on inertial measurement units under Annex I Category 7. The clarification tightens the angular rate threshold from 2.0 deg/hr to 1.5 deg/hr — a change that will affect several MEMS IMU suppliers whose products currently sit just above the old threshold. Founders sourcing navigation components for defence-adjacent applications should confirm their supply chain's classification status before the updated guidance takes effect in May.

Source: EU Dual-Use Regulation (2021/821) — Annex I Category 7 Update