Ukraine's Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov announced the launch of the first stage of the UNITE — BRAVE NATO competition — a matchmaking initiative between companies from Ukraine and NATO, UNN reports.
We are strengthening partnerships to develop next-generation defense technologies. Together with NATO, we have launched the first competition within the UNITE — Brave NATO program. This is a new format of cooperation where companies from Ukraine and NATO countries combine technologies to create a joint product for the Ukrainian battlefield.
According to the minister, the first stage is the creation of B2B partnerships between companies from Ukraine and NATO countries. From Ukraine, the program is coordinated by the Brave1 defense innovation cluster. For effective interaction, appropriate functionality has been created on the Brave1 portal, accessible after registration and verification.
The theme of the first competition is countering enemy UAVs and air defense systems:
🔹 active protection systems against FPV drones;
🔹 countering Shahed-class drones;
🔹 strengthening signals intelligence (SIGINT) and electromagnetic technologies;
🔹 development of autonomous guidance systems;
🔹 platforms for high-altitude flights.
The budget for the first competition is €10 million. Up to €1 million for each joint project, with a limit of €500,000. The winners will be announced in the summer of 2026, Fedorov summarized.