First large-scale tech alliance between EU, Ukraine kicks off

The European Commission has formally launched a new initiative aimed at accelerating the development of defence technologies with Ukraine.

The €35 million project will focus on testing and deploying innovative solutions designed for use in combat conditions, according to the Commission’s press service, as Caliber.Az cites.

First announced back in 2025, the platform is intended to help fast-track promising technologies developed by European companies into real-world applications.

The first selection rounds are scheduled for June 2026, with field trials and evaluation campaigns set to take place later in the year in collaboration with Ukrainian partners.

BraveTech EU is a new strategic step for the development of the EU’s and Ukraine’s defence industry cooperation. The EU and its Member States have an industrial capacity that can help Ukraine to develop new defence systems and to increase 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. 

Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space, emphasised earlier that the program not only allows for Europe to help Ukraine thanks to its industrial capacity, but provides an opportunity for Europe's defence industry "to learn a lot from a very innovative and dynamic Ukraine’s defence tech community, its industry and its ecosystem."

The initiative builds on an earlier phase of the programme, during which some of the most promising defence technologies from European developers were picked. These solutions will now be tested in environments that closely simulate actual battlefield conditions.

BraveTechEU is being implemented in coordination with Ukraine’s defence innovation cluster Brave1, ensuring that European technologies are adapted to the evolving demands of modern warfare.

By Nazrin Sadigova