Over the past months, the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance (UCA) has actively showcased Brave1, the state-backed defence tech accelerator, as a prime example of how structured support can accelerate innovation in the MilTech sectors. At the same time, we continue to advocate for clusters and the cluster-based approach — two of the three “pillars” of any high-tech industrial ecosystem that we laid out in our Industry 4.0 vision back in 2018. The third pillar? Expert Centres 4.0 — capable of delivering support services for SMEs and technology transfer.

So far, the Ukrainian State has proven the validity of accelerators. However, the other two pillars — especially clusters — remain in the shadows, even regarding defence and security. In this article, we use the example of Ukraine’s defence-industrial sectors to demonstrate five key areas where clusters can meaningfully contribute to the country’s resilience and long-term defence capacity.

Context: Accelerators vs Clusters

There is no doubt about Brave1’s impact: 1,500+ MilTech producers engaged, exponential growth in product output (10x in some cases), tens of millions in investment, and many startups transitioning to full-scale production.

What about clusters? Aside from Lviv-based IRON Cluster, which shows impressive growth, few of UCA’s 10+ member clusters have made substantial progress in the Dual-Use or MilTech space. Why? The answer is obvious: there are practically no support tools or public investment mechanisms for cluster development in Ukraine. Unlike Brave1, which benefits from strong State backing, clusters rely entirely on self-organization. IRON is a rare exception thanks to support from local authorities who introduced innovation vouchers for SMEs. But even the most capable cluster teams can’t thrive in a vacuum. Our conclusion: without external support, clusters don’t take off — even in fast-growing sectors like Dual-Use or MilTech.

Advantages of Dual-Use Clusters

But there is a question: Why do the Ukrainian state or other stakeholders (including European institutions) not invest in the cluster movement in Defense, especially in EU-Ukraine collaboration in this area? One reason is the lack of awareness of the advantages of clusters in solving common Defense issues, especially in the long term. Here is this list, which is especially relevant to the Dual-use sectors.

1. Civil-military synergy
   Clusters enable natural collaboration between civil and military sectors. For example, we can easily find UAV and robotics startups, agritech companies, and cybersecurity firms in the same cluster. Or AI systems or autonomous navigation solutions can be deployed in civilian and military contexts.
2. Flexibility in war and peace
   Accelerators, such as Brave1, are built for “combat readiness.” Clusters are about “resilience and sustainable growth.” They are the bridge to long-term reintegration of the Defence industry into European and global markets.
3. Local industrial capacity
   Clusters promote localization of production (electronics, mechanics, energy systems), reducing dependence on imports, which is crucial for both Ukrainian and European industries. This is a core function of clusters worldwide.
4. Advocacy and influence
   Clusters have more collective weight when engaging with state institutions, donors, and the EU. They can push for changes that benefit entire sectors.
5. Innovation ecosystem development
   No business association is better suited than clusters to drive the growth of local innovation ecosystems. They collaborate with universities, build shared R&D labs, incubators, and support infrastructure. Ukrainian clusters are just beginning this path, but it is a proven European model.

Summary Table: Clusters and Accelerators Compared

Criteria	Accelerators (e.g. Brave1)	Clusters (industrial, tech, regional)
Focus	Support for individual startups (MVP → scaling)	Systemic integration of business, academia, and government
Support tools	Grants, mentorship, fast-track to Ministries and donors	R&D cooperation, shared platforms, testbeds
Institutional sustainability	Project-based, often short-term	Basis for long-term industrial strategy
Scalability	Select few companies → narrow impact	Broad industry coverage, cross-sector synergies
Dual-Use focus	Primarily MilTech	Ideal for Dual-Use: civilian + military naturally converge
EU integration	Case-specific, less embedded	Actively linked to Euroclusters, Horizon, Interreg, EDF
Export capacity	Dependent on individual firms	Export channels, certifications, value chain access

Advocacy Campaign: Clusters4Defense

In April, UCA will launch a new advocacy campaign to mobilize and support clusters in Ukraine and Europe working in defence, dual-use, and security sectors.

Our key messages:

• Don’t pit accelerators and clusters against each other — integrate them. Brave1 can become a launch pad for sectoral clusters in Dual-Use and MilTech.
• Position clusters as the scaling infrastructure for accelerator outputs. With multiple companies, shared trust, and co-creation potential, clusters are where innovation goes to scale.
• Emphasize clusters as builders of long-term innovation ecosystems — not just wartime tools. They can engage local authorities, academia, and large enterprises and develop regional business support centres.

Join the Clusters4Defense initiative. More updates from UCA are coming soon.