New Defense Initiative by EU and Ukraine - BraveTech EU
The European Union, in collaboration with Ukraine, is launching a new initiative in the defense sector called BraveTech EU. According to Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a total of 100 million euros will be mobilized to identify technological innovations that could change the course of the war.
The announcement of the initiative was made alongside the European Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius.
In Ukraine, the defense innovation cluster Brave1 will coordinate the project, while the EU's coordination will be through the European Office of Defense Innovation (EUDIO), based in Kyiv. The funding will be provided by the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS).
“This marks the first significant technological partnership between Ukraine and Europe. The collaboration will be on equal terms, with both sides contributing equally to the funding,” highlighted Mykhailo Fedorov.
He explained that BraveTech EU will involve:
- Hackathons between Ukrainian and European companies, including testing of results;
- Grant support for defense startups;
- Integration of Ukrainian defense tech into the European market;
- Joint development of solutions that will change the rules of engagement on the battlefield.
The initiative will be implemented in two phases:
1) Seed (Fall 2025)
Hackathons focused on front-line needs, establishing partnerships among startups, investors, and companies.
2) Scale up (2026)
Attracting additional resources to provide grants to startups, allowing for the scaling of breakthrough solutions developed during the hackathons.
Additionally, in June, Brave1 announced the launch of the Brave1 Club initiative, which simplifies the process of joining the ecosystem for sustainable companies that do not require grants.
