From 2 to 6 March, a delegation from the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance (UCA), representing Ukrainian clusters and companies in the defence and dual-use technology sectors, undertook a business mission to the German regions of Saxony and Brandenburg.
The delegation comprised 17 Ukrainian companies, predominantly members of the UADUT Cluster. The mission’s programme included participation in conferences and B2B meetings, as well as visits to nearly 20 German companies, research institutions and technology centres.
The mission’s main objectives and tasks
The mission was organised in collaboration with agencies from Saxony and Brandenburg (Saxony Trade & Invest and IHK Cottbus) and aimed to establish a long-term technological and industrial partnership between Ukrainian and German ecosystems in the dual-use sectors.
The key objectives of the mission were:
- to establish direct contacts between Ukrainian and German companies and research organisations
- to identify promising areas for technological cooperation
- identifying opportunities for integrating Ukrainian enterprises into European innovation and production chains
- developing partnerships between clusters and regional innovation ecosystems.
The preparation of the mission was preceded by several months of analytical work and a process of identifying partners for potential technological cooperation.
Key results
The mission was primarily of an exploratory and research nature, but it provided valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges of cooperation between Ukrainian and European industrial ecosystems.
The Ukrainian delegation held meetings with over 50 German organisations, including industrial companies, universities, research laboratories and regional development agencies.
Significant technological complementarity was identified between the Ukrainian and German sides, in particular:
- Ukraine has its own strengths, such as rapid innovation in defence technologies, unique experience in the combat validation of technologies, a dynamic ecosystem of agile SMEs and start-ups, and the capacity for rapid prototyping and testing.
- Germany has a strong industrial and engineering base, advanced component technologies, a well-developed research and development infrastructure, and modern production systems.
At the same time, the mission revealed that this complementarity does not ‘automatically’ lead to business matchmaking, particularly through B2B meetings alone – there are a number of obstacles and structural gaps at the ecosystem and sectoral levels. Overcoming these requires systematic work by agencies, clusters and policymakers on both sides.
Promising areas of cooperation
The mission’s findings identified several technological areas where cooperation holds the greatest potential.
Microelectronics and electronic components
Saxony is a hub for European microelectronics, home to the Silicon Saxony cluster. Promising sectors include sensor systems, RF modules and specialised microchips for defence electronics.
Photonics and sensor systems
The region has a strong position in optical and laser technologies, which can be used in unmanned systems and surveillance systems.
Testing infrastructure for autonomous systems
Research centres, including the Smart Mobility Lab at TU Dresden, provide facilities for testing UAVs, robotic systems and navigation technologies in complex environments.
Industrial automation
German automation technologies can play a key role in scaling up the production of Ukrainian technological products.
Composite materials
Research institutes in Saxony possess significant expertise in the development of lightweight and high-strength materials for aviation, drones and autonomous systems.
Strategic conclusions
With regard to structural gaps, the mission found that the Ukrainian and German defence technology ecosystems operate within different industrial models. The Ukrainian defence technology sector is developing rapidly, driven by the dynamism of innovative SMEs, experimentation and the combat testing of technologies on the front line. In contrast, the German industry operates within complex production chains dominated by large companies, with a market featuring well-developed R&D and testing infrastructure, complemented by regulatory procedures.
This means that collaboration will be most effectively fostered not through direct B2B meetings or integration into supply chains (Tier-x), but through:
- joint research and innovation projects
- participation in European Defence Fund (EDF) consortia
- creation of joint testing and prototyping platforms
- development of partnerships between clusters, universities and technology companies.
Next steps
Following the mission, the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance and its German partners plan to:
- facilitate the creation of joint European consortia in the field of defence technologies
- expand partnerships with German clusters and research centres
- support the integration of Ukrainian SMEs into European innovation ecosystems
- organise a visit by German companies to Ukraine focused on testing technologies and developing new partnerships.
The UCA and the clusters would like to express their sincere gratitude to Saxony Trade & Invest and IHK Cottbus for their assistance in organising the business mission for Ukrainian companies. We remain committed to fostering fruitful German-Ukrainian relations in the development of cutting-edge sectors, particularly defence and dual-use technologies, Industry 4.0 and digital innovation.
Executive Directorate of the UCA