More than 450 participants from 25 countries met in Vilnius on 1 – 2 June for the NATO-Ukraine Defence Innovators Forum, taking account of Ukraine's battlefield adaptation lessons.
The event was co-hosted by Lithuania’s Ministry of Defence, Ukraine’s Brave1 innovation platform and NATO, the alliance press service reported on Wednesday.
Discussions covered joint defence innovation programmes with Ukraine, co-production, investment, artificial intelligence and procurement.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska told the forum that experts from NATO and Ukraine should learn from each other on adapting to battlefield conditions.
“Ukraine has shown us what urgency looks like. Let’s match it,” she said.
UNITE — Brave NATO and business links
The forum included UNITE — Brave NATO, which NATO described as a co-funded innovation programme between NATO and Ukraine focused on addressing Ukrainian defence innovation challenges with Allied companies.
NATO said the event also included pitch sessions organised by the NATO Innovation Fund, an expo zone run by Brave1 and signed agreements between companies.
Attendees included Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Lithuania’s Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, Lithuania’s Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas and Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Sergiy Boyev.
