About event Study Program Registration FAQ
EN
UA EN
About event Study Program Registration FAQ
EN
UA EN
ТСУ ТСУ
With the support of the European Union
Strategic Forum
August 28, 2025, Lviv
Joint Ventures,
Joint Defence
Register
How Europe and Ukraine can leverage each other’s innovations
About the forum:
As Ukraine works to expand defence cooperation with international partners, joint ventures have become a strategic priority for accelerating innovation and strengthening shared security.

This event, led by Tech Force in UA (TFUA), will bring together governments, global defence companies, and technology innovators to explore a central question: What’s needed to scale joint defence production with Ukraine — faster and smarter?
A key feature of the forum will be the Fair of International Opportunities for Ukrainian manufacturers. It will include 7 booths representing Ukraine’s strategic partner countries that seek to develop drone and high-tech cooperation with Ukraine.

This Fair of International Opportunities highlights the unprecedented global interest in Ukraine’s defense tech industry and demonstrates the readiness of Ukraine’s partners for real industrial cooperation.
The first comprehensive study of Ukraine’s private asymmetric weapons industry
What are the capabilities, needs, and expectations of Ukrainian manufacturers toward international partners? Together with BRDO, we are building an evidence base to provide actionable recommendations to governments, investors, and business partners on how to best collaborate with the industry.
Download presentation
Program
10:35-10:45
Welcome Remarks
Francis Farrell
Reporter at the Kyiv Independent
Vadym Yunyk
Сo-founder of FRDM, TFUA President
Kateryna Mykhalko
Director-General of Tech Force in UA
10:45-11:00
Opening High-Level Speeches
Mykhailo Fedorov
First Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine (virtually)
Herald Ruijters
deputy Director-General of DG DEFIS, European Commission (online)
Tobias Elling Rehfeld
Defence Policy Director, Deputy Permanent Secretary of State for Defence of Denmark (online)
11:00-11:30
Spotlight: Defense Technology as a Booster for Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
Kateryna Mykhalko
Director-General of Tech Force in UA
Iryna Terekh
Director of Production FirePoint
Patrick Turner
NATO Senior Representative in Ukraine
11:30-11:45
Presentation: TFUA and BRDO's study on Ukraine’s private defense tech industry
Oleksiy Dorohan
Director-General of BRDO
11:45-12:15
Networking & Fair of International Opportunities
12:15-13:00
Discussion: Startups together with primes: future of the battlefield innovation
Yaroslav Azhnyuk
CEO and Founder Fourth Law, Co-founder Odd Systems
Daniel Lay
Head of Programme at Helsing
Austin Howard
Chief Engineer Shield AI
Deborah Fairlamb
Founding Partner, Green Flag Ventures
Oleksandr Berezhny
Managing Director of Quantum Systems Ukraine
Timothy Little
International Campaign Lead, BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
13:00-14:00
Lunch
14:00-14:30
Premier: “On the Frontlines of Innovation" movie & conversation
Matthias Lehna
director Development & Gov Relations, Quantum Systems
Oleksandr Berezhny
Managing Director of Quantum Systems Ukraine
Moderator: Valentyna Kuzyk
author of Situational Awareness Podcast, Militarnyi
14:30-15:30
Discussion: What is needed to scale joint defence production with Ukraine? The voice of private defence tech industry
Vadym Yunyk
Сo-founder of FRDM, TFUA President
Yaroslav Kalinin
CEO of Infozahyst
Andrii Rymaruk
Deputy CEO of Ukrspecsystems
Oleksandr Yakovenko
Founder TAF Industries
Stanislav Hryshyn
Co-founder and Director of Strategic Development "General Cherry"
Denys Chumachenko
CTO Deviro
Moderator: Kateryna Suprun
author and podcast host at Militarnyi
15:30-16:00
Networking & Fair of International Opportunities
16:00-16:45
Key Discussion: SAFE — buy from Ukraine and for Ukraine
Andriy Zagorodnyuk
Minister of Defence of Ukraine (2019-2020)
⁨Martin Jõesaar
Head of EU Defense Innovation Office in Kyiv
Pavlo Verkhniatskyi
Founder and CEO of COSA
Viktoria Honcharuk
paramedic of Hospitallers Medical Battalion
Carsten Engdal Pedersen
Deputy Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Denmark in Ukraine
16:45-17:00
Closing remarks
17:00-18:00
Wine & Snacks
Register for the forum
The organizers reserve the right to decline registration for security reasons. Priority will be given to international partners and teams from Tech Force in UA member manufacturers.
With the support of the EU Delegation to Ukraine
Grand Partner
General Partners
Forum Partners
Information Partners
FAQ
Joint ventures: what they are and why we're talking about them?
  • Joint ventures are a form of partnership between two or more companies to co-finance and manufacture a shared product. By pooling resources and expertise, producers can more rapidly develop and scale innovative solutions.
  • In defense, joint ventures enhance military capacity for both Ukraine and Europe. They strengthen cross-sector cooperation, improve interoperability between Ukraine’s armed forces and allied nations, and help ensure more stable, predictable supply chains for the military. That is why joint ventures are a strategic priority for Ukraine.
How does Ukraine’s defense industry support EU integration?
Europe’s rearmament and steps toward an EU-level defence union present a key opportunity for Ukraine’s EU integration. Defence and defence technology are among the few areas where Europe can benefit from adopting the standards and best practices Ukraine has developed during the war. Through joint production of asymmetric weapons, Ukrainian and European companies can accelerate innovation and contribute to our shared security.
What should I know about security at the event?
The forum will take place in a shelter. In case of an air raid alert, the program will continue without interruption. The exact location will only be shared with registered participants via email. For safety reasons, the organizers reserve the right to deny entry to any participant.
Will there be media accreditation?
Yes, accreditation for media is available via the following link.
Above