Ukraine and NATO Launch €10 Mln Innovation Fund to Accelerate Battlefield Technologies
Ukraine, together with NATO, has launched a new joint initiative designed to fast-track emerging defence technologies to the front line. The program “UNITE: Brave NATO” marks the first large-scale innovation funding partnership between Kyiv and the Alliance.
The Gaze reports this, referring to an announcement made by Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The initiative will begin with a pilot competition in early 2026, offering €10 million in grants for defence-tech developers. Funding will be split equally between NATO, via the Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine (CAP), and the Ukrainian government.
Implementation will be led by Brave, a Ukrainian innovation cluster, in cooperation with the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA).
“This is a win-win initiative for both NATO and Ukraine,” said NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska, noting that experts and engineers from both sides will work jointly to address urgent technology gaps on the battlefield.
The first competition will focus on four priority technological areas: counter-drone systems (C-UAS), SIGINT and electronic intelligence tools, navigation solutions under heavy electronic warfare, unmanned and robotic ground platforms.
Grant applications are expected to open February 2026, with winners to be announced in spring 2026 at the second Ukraine–NATO Defence Innovation Forum.
If successful, the program budget could expand up to €50 million, significantly scaling support for new technologies in active combat environments.
The launch comes as Ukrainian startups continue gaining visibility at major global tech events. Recently, medical rehabilitation startup SYLA was named among the top ten innovations at Web Summit 2025 in Lisbon.
As The Gaze previously reported, French company Atreyd will soon deploy Ukraine's first “drone wall” to protect cities and critical infrastructure from Russian attacking UAVs.
Read more on The Gaze: Ukraine’s Drone Revolution: The World’s New Testing Ground for Defense Innovation