Kyiv, Ukraine. Airbus Defence and Space signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Brave1, Ukraine’s central government-led defence technology coordinator. Functioning as a joint innovation platform for the country’s ministries, military, and private tech sector, Brave1 serves as the main hub to fast-track cutting-edge battlefield technologies from concept to combat deployment. This agreement marks Brave1’s first industrial strategic partnership with a Western company.
The collaboration establishes joint task forces to drive technological projects, ranging from initial scientific research to modernising active equipment. To accelerate deployment, Airbus Defence and Space’s technologies will integrate directly into Brave1’s “Test in Ukraine” framework. This enables intensive live frontline co-testing and joint evaluation, including operational performance data channelled directly back into the development loop to meet immediate security requirements. Additionally, Airbus will serve as a key partner of the Defence Tech Valley summit in Lviv, one of the largest defence tech events in Europe, reaffirming its role as Ukraine’s key European partner.
“As Brave1 celebrates three years of building Ukraine’s defence tech ecosystem, our mission is expanding from launching startups to forging global industrial alliances under our new ‘Brave Prime’ initiative,” said Iryna Zabolotna, COO of Brave1. «In Ukraine, research and development cycles are measured not in months or years, but in days. Partnering with a global leader like Airbus allows us to combine their decades of deep aerospace expertise with our agile, combat-tested R&D approach. Together, we are building faster, more resilient defence solutions for the future of European security.”
“Collaborating with Ukraine on defence means effectively working on Europe’s collective security,” said Jo Mueller, member of the Executive Committee of Airbus Defence and Space. “Being chosen by Brave1 to become a strategic partner in one of the world’s most advanced defence ecosystems means a lot to us. We are committed to supporting our partners with our comprehensive experience and skills in defence aerospace – while augmenting our future capabilities through the unique experience and talent of Ukrainian innovators.”
