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From an almost nonexistent industry at the start of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, the country’s defense technology sector has, out of necessity, become one of the world’s most innovative. Brave1 is central to this military tech revolution.

The platform, which was launched under the Ministry of Digital Transformation in April 2023, coordinates the actions of all kinds of stakeholders to respond to Ukraine’s front-line needs as quickly as possible. Politicians, military officials, industry companies, investors and fundraising organizations have all worked together to accelerate innovation, certification and production of military equipment.

Inspired by the United States’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), Brave1 stands out for the speed of its certification procedures. The time between a project’s submission and its approval spans two to three months on average, whereas several years are sometimes necessary in the US or Europe. This approval is cemented by the project being assigned a NATO Stock Number (NSN), which guarantees the interoperability of military equipment used by NATO member states. These numbers have allowed companies whose projects have been selected to consider expanding their commercial prospects, even though Ukraine is not a NATO member.

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