NATO and Ukraine have agreed a new plan to expand their long-running cooperation on science and research.
The NATO–Ukraine Council approved a “Strategy for Supporting the Ukrainian Scientific Ecosystem” on 14 October 2026, NATO informed in a release on Tuesday.
It said the strategy sets out how to support academia and researchers, strengthen physical and digital research capabilities, and increase opportunities for connectivity and scientific exchange.
The organisation stated that the strategy will feed into the NATO–Ukraine Innovation Cooperation Roadmap and was adopted in the context of what it described as Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.
Ukraine is the most active participant in NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme — a framework that supports civilian-led research and development projects with security relevance — with Ukrainian scientific, research and public institutions involved in more than 35% of ongoing SPS activities.
Ukrainian scientists are currently working with researchers in Allied and NATO partner countries on more than 70 SPS-supported research and development projects.
NATO said current areas include humanitarian demining, protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, countering unmanned aerial systems, and energy security.
Further talks on practical support
Separately, NATO said the SPS Programme and Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science discussed additional ways to deepen cooperation and provide practical support to Ukraine’s academic and scientific community at a meeting of the Working Group for Scientific and Environmental Cooperation.
