Ukraine continues to prioritise rapid innovation on the battlefield and is ready to share further knowledge with the European Union, Deputy Defence Minister Valerii Churkin told attendees at the European Defence Innovation Days event in Poland on 14 May 2025.
“To innovate fast, you have to be as close as possible to the frontline,” Churkin said at the start of the three-day event in Krakow. “So that's why we're asking you to join Ukraine, come to Ukraine, develop with Ukrainian companies, establish joint ventures.” Twelve Ukrainian companies were among the nearly 90 exhibitors that filled the hall at the European Defence Innovation Days.
Newly appointed EDA Chief Executive André Denk opened the event by saying that the European Defence Innovation Days is not just a conference but a platform to “connect and match bold ideas with bold action.”
Since 2014, and especially after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s Armed Forces have seen engineers, software developers, and business analysts join their ranks. These professionals have helped foster a bottom-up innovation culture, with most combat brigades now operating their own workshops to design and produce battlefield solutions.
“What accelerates innovation is the existential threat. When your life depends on it, you develop so much faster,” Churkin said. Ukrainian units have established direct links between the front line and engineers, enabling faster prototyping and iteration of military technologies.
To coordinate this rapid development, Ukraine has launched digital platforms such as Iron Bench, which connect private sector developers with military end-users. These systems provide near-instant feedback on battlefield tools and tactics, encouraging agile development.
However, challenges persist. Chief among them is standardisation. Ukrainian forces employ a patchwork of Western and domestic technologies, which often lack compatibility in terms of frequency, command protocols, and user interfaces.
“We’re now working on unified interfaces and protocols for drones and other systems to ensure our integration,” Churkin said.