- EIB and Santander sign guarantee agreements to boost supply-chain finance solutions for European companies in strategic sectors.
- €400 million will support companies in Europe’s security and defence ecosystem through the EIB Group’s pan-European intermediated supply chain instrument. Santander is the fourth major European bank to sign an operation under this programme.
- €500 million will increase access to financing for companies in other strategic sectors such as clean technologies, telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
- The agreements strengthen EU strategic autonomy by reinforcing Europe’s technological leadership and its security and defence capabilities amid increased geopolitical uncertainty.
The EIB (European Investment Bank) has signed guarantee agreements with Santander totalling €450 million. These guarantees will enable Santander to unlock around €900 million in new financing to support supply‑chain finance solutions for European companies operating in strategic sectors. The agreements were announced today by EIB Group President Nadia Calviño during the presentation of the Group's results in Brussels.
The agreements aim to broaden and enhance the range of financing solutions available to Europe’s supply‑chain ecosystem in key industries such as security and defence, clean technologies, telecommunications and digital infrastructure. The operations are expected to significantly improve financing conditions for final beneficiaries by expanding access to finance and mobilising additional private capital.
European security and defence manufacturers will gain access to €400 million in new financing for supply‑chain solutions supporting cybersecurity, surveillance, resilience and defence technologies investments, in line with the EIB’s eligibility criteria. Strengthening Europe’s security and defence industrial base is a core strategic priority for the EIB. In this context, the Bank has established a €3 billion pan European intermediated financing instrument dedicated to address the structural financing constraints faced by EU companies active in the supply chains of Europe’s security and defence industry. Santander is the fourth major European bank to sign an operation under this programme.
Companies operating in other strategic sectors such as clean technologies, telecommunications and digital infrastructure will benefit from €500 million in new financing, through supply‑chain finance instruments, namely reverse factoring, helping to strengthen critical EU value chains. This agreement contributes to TechEU, the EIB Group’s programme to accelerate EU innovation, which aims to mobilise €250 billion in investments by 2027 for startups, scale‑ups and innovative companies across Europe.
“These agreements will improve access to supply‑chain financing for European companies operating in strategic sectors such as security and defence or digital technologies,” said Gemma Feliciani, Director of Financial Institutions at the EIB. “The EIB is strengthening its partnerships with banks across the EU to ensure that companies have the financing needed to invest in the critical capabilities that will underpin the EU’s strategic autonomy amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.”
Mencía Bobo, global head of Global Transaction Banking at Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, said: "This agreement with the European Investment Bank reinforces Santander’s role as a leading partner for European companies operating in strategic sectors. By mobilising supply chain finance at scale, we are helping to strengthen critical value chains at a time when resilience, innovation and strategic autonomy are more important than ever. At Santander, we are firmly committed to supporting our clients and the sectors that are key to Europe’s long-term competitiveness and security.
Marcel Patiño, global head of Private Debt Mobilization at Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, added: “The EIB and Santander are ideally positioned to cooperate in this area, as Santander brings a robust and extensive client network across Europe, a deep expertise in Global Transaction Banking and a longstanding experience in Private Debt Mobilization enabling investors to bring additional credit capacity to our corporate clients. We think we are thus the perfect partner for EIB in achieving its strategic objectives in Europe.”
Photo caption from left to right: Joan Basora Head of Multinational Banks Division at EIB, Laurence Boone, Head of Santander France, Mencía Bobo, global head of Global Transaction Banking at Santander Corporate & Investment Banking, Gemma Feliciani, Director of Financial Institutions at the EIB and Marcel Patiño, global head of Private Debt Mobilization at Santander Corporate & Investment Banking
Background information
EIB
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, it finances investments that pursue EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
Around half of EIB financing in the European Union goes to cohesion regions, where per capita income is below the EU average, while almost 60% of annual EIB Group investments support climate action and environmental sustainability.
High-quality, up-to-date photos of EIB headquarters for media use are available here.
Santander
Banco Santander (SAN SM) is a leading commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain and one of the largest banks in the world by market capitalization. The group’s activities are consolidated into five global businesses: Retail & Commercial Banking, Digital Consumer Bank, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth Management & Insurance and Payments (PagoNxt and Cards). This operating model allows the bank to better leverage its unique combination of global scale and local leadership. Santander aims to be the best open financial services platform providing services to individuals, SMEs, corporates, financial institutions and governments. The bank’s purpose is to help people and businesses prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. At the end of the third quarter of 2025, Banco Santander had €1.3 trillion in total funds, 178 million customers, 7,400 branches and 201,000 employees.