The European Investment Bank (EIB) announces a record €3 billion loan to Airbus as the European Union seeks to strengthen its technological capacity amid stronger competition from the United States and China. Bloomberg reports the loan is unprecedented in EIB history and is tied to the EU’s efforts to improve “technological sovereignty.” Deutsche Welle says the EIB positions the funding as support for Airbus’s research efforts, describing it as the largest loan the institution has announced. Both sources indicate the funds are intended to help Airbus develop and expand technology-related activities, including projects spanning commercial and defense areas. While specific project details are not provided in the excerpts, the reporting agrees on the key figures—€3 billion and its status as the EIB’s largest-ever loan—and on the general purpose of backing Airbus research and technology development. The EIB’s decision is presented as part of broader policy efforts within the EU to bolster industrial and technological capabilities in the aerospace sector.