Government to determine priority areas for grants as part of Brave1 cluster

The Ukrainian Digital Transformation Ministry is planning to determine priority areas, in which the Brave1 defense tech cluster participants will be receiving increased grant support from the state.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Digital Transformation Deputy Minister for IT Industry Development Oleksandr Borniakov on the sidelines of the Defense Tech Valley investment forum in a commentary to Ukrinform.

“Due to limited resources, we cannot finance everything. We are planning to increase the amount of grants, but also to determine the clear needs of the army, to understand what has the greatest efficiency. Therefore, we are preparing a list of priority areas for the state that will be financed as part of the Brave1 [cluster],” Borniakov told.

In his words, the priority areas may include electronic warfare systems and AI-based solutions. Meanwhile, the development of drones no longer requires government support, as they “are already developing on their own.”

According to Borniakov, the amount of financing provided for the selected areas may reach several hundred thousand dollars.

“In two or three weeks, I think we will present the updated list of areas. If you make something in this area, it means that, first of all, you will be able to receive significant funds for development purposes. And secondly, the state will provide fast-track assistance to you [accelerated formal procedures – Ed.], in fact leading you to the signing of a public contract,” Borniakov noted.

Currently, the Brave1 defense tech cluster has established cooperation with more than 30 investment funds, which helped to develop the market of FPV and reconnaissance drones, and surface robotic systems. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are under development at the moment.

“According to my estimates, overall, it is about half a billion dollars from investors. However, there are many things that I don’t know, and this sum can be much higher,” Borniakov added.

A reminder that Ukrainian drone manufacturers managed to reach the production target ahead of schedule, and 1 million unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) had already been contracted for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.