The Ukrainian defense tech industry is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the urgent need for innovative solutions to counter the ongoing Russian aggression. This growth is evident in the increasing number of defense-tech startups emerging in the country, many of which are receiving recognition and support both domestically and internationally.
One example is Vidar Systems, a startup that develops acoustic-based systems to detect enemy artillery. Vidar Systems was recently awarded a prize at the IT Arena conference, along with two other defense-tech startups, Norda Dynamics and Oko Camera.
In an interview with Dev.ua, the co-founders of these startups discussed the realities of the Ukrainian defense tech market, including the challenges they face. One major challenge is the shortage of qualified personnel, a problem that is particularly acute in the defense tech sector.
“The hiring topic is quite painful for us at the moment,” says Denys Sobchyshak, CEO of Vidar Systems. “We have been looking for a suitable electronics engineer with experience in circuit design, digital board design, and acoustics for a long time without success. Of course, we have high requirements, but we also see that this expertise is not sufficiently developed in the country.”
Despite this challenge, Sobchyshak remains optimistic. He says that Vidar Systems has found a temporary solution and is continuing its search for qualified personnel.
Driven by Positive Feedback from the Military
Sobchyshak says that Vidar Systems was formed as a team of volunteers who wanted to use their expertise to help Ukraine in the war effort. “These were mainly tasks that we implemented in the IT field,” he explains. “There was no demand for our product in the form it is now at the time the team was formed. But, of course, we sought to understand whether there would be demand and whether what we were doing was needed. This was among the key tasks.”
Sobchyshak says that they received positive feedback from the military very quickly, which has motivated them to continue developing their product. “The feedback gives us strength,” he says. “It’s nice, but also very responsible. Many of our team work directly with the military, so there are many funny, comical, and practical stories. We want to tell them ourselves, but they are more appropriate after the victory.”
A Collaborative Ecosystem
Sobchyshak believes that the Ukrainian defense tech market is characterized by cooperation rather than competition. “Ukrainian civil society, which has become the backbone of the Armed Forces and full-scale resistance, has one of its unique manifestations in defense tech – co-competition,” he explains. “Sometimes I noticed that this is called frenemies, but the essence of the phenomenon is that companies that should be competitors actually cooperate to achieve a common goal – victory.”
Sobchyshak acknowledges that there are some cases of hostility or even a desire to invent information for commercial gain in the defense tech market. “But I would say that at the moment such cases quickly become isolated, and the overall defense tech ecosystem is focused on integration rather than eliminating competitors,” he says. “This, by the way, was noticeable at IT Arena.”
Looking Ahead
Sobchyshak says that Vidar Systems is constantly working to improve its existing system and is also exploring new ideas for additional elements or integrations. “Of course, in the future this will be more in the area of responsibility of the R&D department, but now this department, one might say, is our company,” he says.
Vidar Systems is also looking for investment opportunities to help it grow and develop its products. “We are actually looking for opportunities in various investment areas and here we are similar to classic startups at the stage of active development,” Sobchyshak concludes.
Source: Dev.ua
