Ukrainian defence authorities and armed forces

1. Establish a standing, published “trusted co-production partner” export lane for Drone Deal / Build with Ukraine partners (incl. DE, LT, LV, EE): a regulatory definition of both formats, a published partner-country list, a defined scope of goods and technologies, a binding 30-day decision with reasoned refusal and appeal route, and at least 90 days’ notice plus grandfathering of licences already issued against signed joint-venture contracts whenever the critical-goods list changes.
ID: IN-075
Lab: SCALE
Challenge: The political layer is in place (Drone Deals signed with more than ten countries), but the July 2026 procedure for international transfers of military and dual-use goods (CMU Resolution No. 875) cannot yet be used in practice: the partner-country and critical-goods lists have not been published, it is unclear whether the rules apply only to Drone Deal countries or to all, and no joint venture can commit capital while its product line may be reclassified mid-investment.
Lead actor: Government of Ukraine (Cabinet of Ministers; Ministry of Defence; State Service for Export Control)
Supporting actors: Ministries of Defence of Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (end-user / end-use guarantees for JV output); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (partner-country list); European Commission (alignment with the EU export-control framework)
First step: Ukraine publishes the partner-country list, the critical-goods list and a regulatory definition of “Drone Deal” and “Build with Ukraine”; DE and Baltic MoDs confirm in writing the standard end-user guarantee they will issue for JV output.
Timeframe: 100 days
KPI: Both lists published within 100 days; ≥90% of complete applications in the lane decided within 30 calendar days; first licences issued to DE–UA and Baltic–UA joint ventures within 6 months; no retroactive reclassification of products covered by signed JV contracts.

2. Replace the value-based charge on co-production and technology transfer with partner states (currently 20% of value for finished goods and technologies, 30% for components, 20% on onward transfer of goods produced abroad with Ukrainian technology) with a security-based model: end-use and non-retransfer guarantees by the importing state, plus a pre-agreed re-transfer matrix (own armed forces / EU and NATO states / third countries: pre-cleared, conditional, prohibited). Any residual charge to be differentiated, paid on contract execution rather than on application, refundable on refusal, and zero for JV output delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
ID: IN-076
Lab: INNOVATION SPEED
Challenge: The charge must be paid upfront with the licence application, with no clear refund if the licence is refused. On a EUR 10 m project it adds EUR 2–3 m that no existing financing instrument or investment decision foresees. Components carry a higher rate than finished systems, penalising exactly the supply-chain integration Europe needs. A payment does not control end use; state guarantees do.
Lead actor: Government of Ukraine (Cabinet of Ministers; Ministry of Defence)
Supporting actors: Ministries of Defence and Economy of Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia; Ukrainian and partner-country defence industry associations; Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence
First step: Convene a joint Ukraine–partner working group with industry to deliver, within 60 days, an economic impact assessment of the current charge and a draft state-guarantee template and re-transfer matrix for adoption by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Timeframe: 100 days
KPI: Amended procedure adopted; no payment required before a licensing decision; component rate not higher than finished-goods rate; JV output for the Armed Forces of Ukraine exempt; state-guarantee template signed by at least three partner states (incl. DE and at least one Baltic state) within 12 months.

3. Open a simplified licensing lane for evaluation quantities of Ukrainian systems shipped to partner armed forces for military testing (not commercial sale): no minimum contract value, a one-page application backed by the receiving MoD’s end-user certificate and a return-or-destroy commitment, and a decision within 10 working days.
ID: IN-078
Lab: INNOVATION SPEED
Challenge: Partner armed forces need hands-on military testing, not company demonstrations, before they can adopt a system and before their own industry commits to local production. The special export procedure applies only above a UAH 15 m contract value, so pilot and test batches fall outside it; manufacturers avoid full licensing for a handful of units, and test-before-buy stalls.
Lead actor: Ministry of Defence of Ukraine; State Service for Export Control of Ukraine
Supporting actors: Ministries of Defence of Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and their armed forces’ innovation and test units; Brave1
First step: Run one precedent case end to end, in which a partner MoD orders evaluation samples from a Ukrainian manufacturer, document every point where the process stalls, then codify the lane.
Timeframe: 100 days
KPI: Precedent case completed within 100 days; evaluation-sample licences decided within 10 working days; at least 10 Ukrainian systems tested by German and Baltic armed forces within 12 months, with structured test feedback returned to the manufacturers.

4. Establish a secondment mechanism for Ukrainian engineers and production specialists working in joint ventures in partner states: an annual quota per partner state, retention of mobilisation-reservation status during secondment, and multi-year residence and work permits with family provisions arranged by the host state.
ID: IN-079
Lab: INNOVATION SPEED
Challenge: Technology transfer runs on people, not documents. There is no predictable way to second Ukrainian specialists abroad for extended periods without losing reservation status; in practice this is the hardest single constraint on bringing partner-country joint ventures into serial production.
Lead actor: Government of Ukraine (Ministry of Defence and the authorities responsible for reservation of workers)
Supporting actors: Interior and migration authorities of Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia; partner Ministries of Defence; joint-venture companies
First step: Agree a template bilateral arrangement (quota, duration, reservation guarantee, return obligation) and pilot it with the first DE–UA and LT–UA joint ventures.
Timeframe: 12 months
KPI: Template arrangement signed with at least three partner states; host-state permits issued within 30 days; first secondments in place within 6 months; at least 75% of agreed quotas used in year one; no loss of reservation status during secondment.

5. Ukrainian medics, doctors, surgeons, and rehabilitation specialists have the best heavy-trauma expertise in NATO. Learn from their experience instead of repeating others' mistakes.
ID: IN-038
Lab: RESILIENCE

6. Establish a dedicated 1520 mm rail equipment 'repair-and-return' hub in the Baltic region (Latvia) to overhaul and maintain Ukrainian locomotives, heavy rolling stock, and rail-borne logistics equipment away from active strike zones, backed by EU funding mechanisms, under Ukraine Investment Framework, part of the Ukraine Facility programme.
ID: IN-104
Lab: RESILIENCE
Challenge: Ukrainian rail repair plants are vulnerable to direct missile attacks and power disruptions, while Western European (1435 mm) facilities lack the technical capability to service 1520 mm broad-gauge rolling stock, creating a critical bottleneck in military and humanitarian supply chains; rail is the backbone of Ukraine's logistics and reconstruction.
Lead actor: Ukrainian defence authorities and armed forces
Supporting actors: National governments, including finance and economy ministries; European Commission, particularly DG DEFIS
First step: Ukrainian defence and transport authorities issue a prioritized repair list; a leading Baltic 1520 mm rail overhaul plant submits a capacity and cost framework; Latvian MoD/Ministry of Transport secures transit protocol and EU funding clearance.
Timeframe: 12 months
KPI: Repair-and-return pipeline operational; a pilot batch of at least 5-10 heavy rail units/locomotives successfully overhauled and delivered to Ukraine, with up to 15–20% of plant capacity integrated into the EU/Latvian military mobility framework.

7. Establish a structured framework encouraging European defence companies seeking sustained access to Ukrainian defence innovation and co-development opportunities to establish a legal entity or office in Ukraine, including service and training capabilities.
ID: IN-128
Lab: RESILIENCE
Challenge: Companies cannot fully understand rapidly evolving operational requirements through remote engagement alone.
Lead actor: Ukrainian defence tech associations and AHKs
Supporting actors: Brave1; European Commission (DG DEFIS); EU Member States; European defence industry associations and companies
First step: Develop a clear pathway for establishing and supporting in-country industry teams and offices, including security protocols and direct access to Ukrainian defence-company networks.
Timeframe: 12 months
KPI: The programme is launched with a framework supporting R&D activities and an in-country matchmaking platform.