The UK Ministry of Defence will launch a dedicated business hub in Kyiv to support and scale up cooperation between British and Ukrainian defence companies. The project aims to accelerate technology exchange, simplify bureaucratic procedures for small and medium-sized businesses in both countries, and enhance the supply of innovative weapons to the front.
The UK Ministry of Defence will launch a dedicated business hub in Kyiv to support and scale up cooperation between British and Ukrainian defence companies. The project aims to accelerate technology exchange, simplify bureaucratic procedures for small and medium-sized businesses in both countries, and enhance the supply of innovative weapons to the front.
The details of the initiative were revealed by UK Deputy Defense Minister Luke Pollard in response to parliamentary questions, the UK Defense Journal reports .
According to the British government official, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the ministry has maintained a continuous dialogue with the private sector and Ukrainian colleagues. The new space in Kyiv should become a strategic hub that will consolidate these ties.
“Our bilateral arrangements with Ukraine facilitate the exchange of battlefield technology, the joint development of advanced military capabilities and the creation of new intellectual property. All of this will be supported by a UK Defence Business Centre, which will soon open in Kyiv, to give UK companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), greater access to Ukraine’s military challenges and local industry,” Pollard noted.
Audere Group has been chosen to operate a new Kyiv hub funded by the British government. The space will provide practical support to startups and small manufacturers: help with finding office and production space, resolving logistics issues, insurance restrictions and navigating local legislation. Air defense systems and unmanned technologies (in particular, the joint production of Octopus interceptor drones ) have been identified as priority areas of work.
The importance of such institutional support was also highlighted by Denys Kalachev of the Association of Ukrainian Defence Manufacturers during a recent roundtable in Westminster. According to him, although the number of defence enterprises in Ukraine has grown from a few units to over 150, the scale has not removed barriers to working with foreign partners.
Kalachev highlighted regulatory hurdles, particularly in the area of intellectual property, that can expose Ukrainian firms to criminal investigations at home, deter investors, and stop partnerships before they even begin. That is why creating a clear framework and “innovation corridor” is critically needed.
UK Defense Minister John Healy previously noted that this center will not only accelerate the supply of equipment to Ukraine, but will also benefit the British economy by creating new jobs and integrating real combat experience into production.
