Diplomat Foreign Desk
Stockholm:DD, Defence Minister Pål Jonson and Defence minister Denis Shmyhal have signed a letter of intent concerning cooperation in the field of innovation.
“By combining Sweden’s industrial and technological strengths with Ukraine’s battlefield experience we can create new military abilities. This cooperation will make our armed forces stronger. It is an investment into peace and security,” says Minister for Defence Pål Jonson.
Ukraine has the world’s greatest experience of quickly developing new defence technology during war and Sweden has a long experience of industrialisation and modern production of defence materiel.
Together with Swedish advanced technological R&D, and Ukraine´s battlefield experience there is a firm base for a Defence Innovation Partnership.
Ukraine and Sweden now want to deepen the defence innovation cooperation and industrial ecosystems with the establishment of a Swedish-Ukrainian Defence Innovation Hub in Ukraine.
The Defence Innovation Hub will be a central unit that connect multiple defence innovation stakeholders. The Defence Innovation Hub will enable the exchange of innovative solutions and experiences.
Sweden and Ukraine also recognize the need for scaling production and building resilient and adaptable production systems for defence materiel. Sweden and Ukraine have also previously signed a LOI regarding coproduction of defence materiel on Swedish territory.
The LOI concerning cooperation in the field of innovation builds on eight pillars i.e., deepen the exchange between Sweden’s and Ukraine’s defence innovation and industrial ecosystems, recognize the need for scaling production and building resilient and adaptable production systems for defence materiel, support the establishment of a Defence Innovation Hub in Ukraine aimed at supporting the Ukrainian and Swedish defence innovation landscape, leverage Sweden’s advanced technological R&D and industrial capabilities and Ukraine’s battlefield experience to develop solutions to emerging battlefield challenges, and explore joint projects under the ‘Build with Ukraine’ initiative to scale the production of innovative Ukrainian products, exchange innovative solutions and experiences to industrialize production and increase production output, promote possible jointly designed, battlefield-proven, innovative solutions and products to other allied and like-minded nations, and the parties will explore concluding other agreements, as required, to further their partnership in innovation activities. (Ministry of Defence, Sweden)
