A path to the world’s top 30 economies: transforming frontline innovation into domestic industrial capacity and shifting from imports to strategic partnerships with Big Tech by Oleksandr Bornyakov, Acting Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine
Global capital looks for two things: scalable business models and clear, predictable rules. Today, Ukraine is generating technological solutions and innovations at one of the fastest rates globally, testing them under extreme conditions. But for these innovations to become a long-term competitive advantage — in the form of domestic production of sensors, chips, and components — predictability is essential. We must reduce dependence on imports and create conditions that attract billions in investment to build our own technological self-sufficiency.
Ukrainian engineers are delivering technological breakthroughs, adapting foreign components to frontline realities more effectively than anyone else. Today, we are transforming defense innovation into a full-fledged high-tech industry. The Brave1 cluster has become the foundation of this ecosystem, bringing together over 2,300 defense companies and more than 5,000 developments. We are seeing exponential growth across key segments:
- UAVs: from 7 companies in 2022 to over 500 today. Production is expected to exceed 4 million drones in 2025, with a target of 7 million in 2026;
- Electronic warfare and signals intelligence: from a handful of players to over 300 companies;
- Ground robotic systems (UGVs): over 200 developers building logistics and combat platforms;
- Maritime drones: more than 20 developers already reshaping the balance of power in the Black Sea.
We are creating conditions where an idea can quickly become a mass-produced product. We have launched Brave1 Market, a digital platform where military units can directly select and procure technologies. Through the Test in Ukraine platform, we open our unique experience to international partners, enabling them to test technologies in real-world conditions. The results are tangible: over 600 Ukrainian solutions have already been codified to NATO standards — a direct entry point to global markets.
At the same time, we must be clear-eyed: the sector still depends heavily on critical imports — from lithium-ion batteries to microbolometers (sensors that enable drones to operate at night). For a country at war, this is a strategic vulnerability. These are dual-use goods, and any disruption in supply chains due to geopolitical shifts would impose severe constraints on scaling reconnaissance and FPV drone production.
This is why our strategic goal is smart technological self-sufficiency. In practice, this means not just assembling products from imported components, but owning the underlying technologies. What are we doing to achieve this?
First, we are building an independent component market and integrating into the global industry through joint ventures. Within Brave1, we have launched a grant program for component manufacturers. Developers of engines, optics, communications systems, and computing solutions can receive up to UAH 8 million for R&D and scaling. At the same time, we are advancing joint venture models — not just licensing technologies, but fully integrating Ukrainian and partner defense industries. One example already in operation: Germany’s Quantum Systems has become a resident of Diia.City and established a joint venture with Ukrainian partners to produce AI-enabled drones.
Second, we are building digital sovereignty. Technological self-sufficiency is not only about hardware; it also requires resilient state architecture and data sovereignty. This is why we are developing a National Digital Agenda focused on building domestic digital infrastructure and implementing a Cloud Strategy.
Alongside this, we are advancing algorithmic sovereignty. Within the WINWIN AI Center of Excellence, we are working on Ukraine’s first national large language model (LLM). Critical state and defense data cannot be processed on foreign servers. Our LLM will operate exclusively on local infrastructure within Ukraine. It is being developed as an open-source solution without public funding, supported by Big Tech and private sector partners.
Finally, we are preparing infrastructure for global capital. Building factories and R&D centers requires investment, and capital flows where transparency exists. Trust in the state is complex and cannot be built overnight. But we can create an ecosystem with clear and predictable rules. This is exactly the role of Diia.City, which has become a benchmark for transparency and trust in the tech sector.
