€100m for Ukraine defence technologies
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The European Commission has launched BraveTech EU initiative with Ukraine to accelerate the development of defence technologies.
The programme aims to build on battlefield-tested innovations from the on-going war and deepen integration with Ukraine’s defence industry.
The initiative connects Ukraine’s BRAVE 1 defence tech platform with EU programmes like the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS). It aims to boost innovation by supporting joint actions, hackathons, rapid testing, and direct collaboration between European and Ukrainian companies, especially start-ups and SMEs.
“BraveTech EU is the first large-scale tech alliance between Ukraine and the EU. Ukraine’s wartime innovation is Europe’s new defence paradigm — and it must scale. Together, we build technologies that not only counter Russia but also redefine resilience,” said Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and Minister of Digital Transformation for Ukraine.
BraveTech also supports the goals of the European Defence – Readiness 2030 plans and the new EU-Ukraine Task Force on Defence Industrial Cooperation. Ukraine has increased its defence production by 35 times since 2022 and built a fully integrated ecosystem of defence companies and government bodies in an agile innovation system with fast development and battlefield deployment.
In parallel, the EU’s EUDIS, launched in 2021, has supported defence innovation through measures like hackathons and tech challenges, and has encouraged startups and SMEs involvement.
BraveTech EU will be implemented in two phases. A first ‘Seed’ Phase, starting in the autumn 2025, will build upon existing EDF activities, enhancing collaboration with Ukraine’s defence innovation ecosystem. It will include Ukraine-focused defence hackathons, matchmaking between Ukrainian and European firms and investors, R&D funding for European and Ukrainian startups, and testing opportunities to support technology development in Ukraine for European defence companies.
A second ‘Scale Up’ phase will expand Seed Phase actions, using additional resources from the EDF and the Ukraine Support Instrument (USI) under the upcoming European Defence Industrial Programme (EDIP).
Up to €50 million in EU funding is proposed, matched by €50 million from the Ukrainian government.
The programme will also contribute to the upcoming Roadmap for the Acceleration of Defence Transformation, due to be published by the end of 2025, establishing a framework for enhanced EU-Ukraine defence cooperation, incorporating new technology platforms and insights from Ukraine with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises and startups in both regions.
“BraveTech EU is a new strategic step for development of EU’s and Ukraine’s defence industry cooperation. The EU, its Member States have an industrial capacity that can help Ukraine to develop new defence systems and to increase the European resilience. On the other hand, our defence industry will be able to learn a lot from a very innovative and dynamic Ukraine’s defence tech community, its industry and its ecosystem. We will deepen our integration – this is very much needed for both sides – for Ukraine and for the EU,” said Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space.
defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/bravetech-eu_en
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