In March, EU launched 1st-ever European Defense Industrial Strategy (EDIS)with €1.5 billion from the EU budget allocated for 2025-2027. On Sept 20, its EU Office for Defense Innovation opened in Ukraine. Goal: connecting EU startups & innovators with Ukraine’s military industry.

The office has been opened under auspices of Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen.

EDIS wants EU member states to buy weapons together, and to buy them in Europe.

EDIS’s several new actions to achieve this

What can Ukraine offer its European partners?

Over the past 2.5 years, Ukraine has rapidly become a global leader in drone technology. Today, more than 500 Ukrainian drone manufacturers and thousands of developers create advanced solutions for combat operations. With an annual production capacity of up to 3 million drones, Ukraine has established itself as a true defense and technical center. (Umerov)