Today, the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine signed a Letter of Intent launching the development of the BRAVE Lithuania Programme. The initiative aims to fortify the Lithuanian-Ukrainian cooperation on defence innovation, facilitate advanced technology development and accelerate its adjustment to defence needs.
Lithuania and Ukraine have also reaffirmed preparedness to support defence innovation, improve the current technological solutions and strengthen defensive capabilities of both countries together.
“Ukraine’s battlefield experience, faculty of quick integration of innovative solutions and adaptation to unstoppably evolving threats are all a priceless asset to the whole Europe. Therefore, Lithuania is developing modern solutions to further strengthen security of our countries and the whole region. Brave Lithuania is a new milestone of the Lithuania-Ukrainian defence cooperation. With our know-how, technological capacity and experience in practice, we will develop and deploy solutions to step up readiness of our militaries and strengthen the stability of security. This investment in not just in our national security but a more secure future for Europe,” Vice Minister of National Defence Vitalija Zumerienė.
BRAVE Lithuania will function as a bilateral platform for support to Lithuanian and Ukrainian defence technology start-ups, innovators, scientific research bodies and companies. The initiative aims to create a practical cooperation mechanism, to bind together innovation ecosystems of both countries, advance development of technology that meets actual operational needs, and to accelerate the transition of promising solutions from concept and prototype phase to testing, validation and practical application. Yet another initiative target is to pull the supported projects as close to real defence needs as possible, preferably, based on battlefield experience, operational feedback and practical demand in the defence sector.
The Letter of Intent was signed by Vice Minister of National Defence V. Zumerienė and Vice Minister of Defence of Ukraine Serhii Boyev in the presence of Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania Inga Ruginienė and Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulija Svyrydenko on the sidelines of the Second NATO-Ukraine Defence Innovators Forum in Vilnius.
To fully implement the initiative, Lithuania and Ukraine will also look into utilising additional means of financing, including investment funds, support of international donors, EU instruments, private investment, risk capital, and other suitable financing mechanisms.
Photo credit: A. Čemerka / MoD
