Marking a major milestone in bilateral industrial cooperation, TechUkraine and NRW.Global Business, in partnership with the NMWP.NRW and AeroSpace.NRW clusters, successfully held a closed-door B2B matchmaking webinar titled “Key Enabling Technologies for Applications in the Defence Industry”.
The invitation-only event brought together 34 confirmed, pre-selected companies and cluster representatives from North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) – Germany’s industrial powerhouse – and Ukraine’s high-tech defence ecosystem. Moving beyond high-level policy dialogue, the closed format enabled direct, technical B2B exchanges focused on joint ventures, supply chain localization, and joint R&D.
From Strategic Survey to Practical B2B Exchange
The event served as the culmination of a multi-stage bilateral journey initiated in May 2025. Following a comprehensive pre-qualification survey mapping 44 vetted Ukrainian defence and dual-use tech companies, today’s session connected battle-tested Ukrainian innovators with NRW component suppliers, R&D networks, and industrial primes. Survey insights highlighted that 81.8% of participating Ukrainian companies operate at TRL 8–9 (deployed in real-world operations), with 68.2% seeking Joint Venture / Co-Production partnerships and 57.1% looking to integrate certified EU/NATO components into their platforms.
The agenda featured concise 1-minute company showcase pitches followed by three parallel, closed workstreams:
- Components Stream (Moderated by Dr. Matthias Grosch, NMWP.NRW) – Focusing on sensor optics, microelectronics, and replacing non-EU dependencies with certified German components.
- Joint Ventures / Co-Production Stream (Moderated by Nataly Veremeeva, TechUkraine) – Addressing structured localization models (Build in Ukraine and Build with Ukraine), IP transfer frameworks, and Ukraine’s Defence City legal incentives.
- R&D Activities & Grants Stream (Moderated by Leonard Schwaiger, NMWP.NRW) – Exploring joint research projects with Fraunhofer Institutes, universities, and European Defence Fund (EDF) funding pathways.
Key Leadership Quotes
Nataly Veremeeva, Director of TechUkraine:
“Today proved that the synergy between Ukrainian battlefield agility and German engineering scale is not just theoretical – it is happening right now. Our Ukrainian innovators bring combat-proven, high-TRL solutions and rapid R&D iteration cycles. By connecting our companies directly with NRW’s world-class industrial clusters, we are establishing real B2B pipelines for co-production, technology transfer, and joint European security resilience”.
Dr. Nataliia Velychko, Project Manager Ukraine, NRW.Global Business GmbH:
“As Germany’s premier industrial region, North Rhine-Westphalia is deeply committed to building sustainable, long-term economic bridges with Ukraine. Hosting 34 verified participants in this targeted format allowed us to identify immediate, practical overlaps – from integrating Ukrainian suppliers into European value chains to establishing joint manufacturing hubs that de-risk critical supply lines”.
Dr. Matthias Grosch, Project Manager Technology and Innovation, NMWP.NRW:
“The technical depth of the pitches and discussions in our components stream was exceptional. Ukrainian manufacturers are operating under extreme operational demands and need high-precision, certified European microelectronics and sensors. NRW’s high-tech cluster ecosystem is uniquely positioned to fill these gaps and co-develop next-generation solutions”.
Next Steps & Follow-Up Roadmap
Following the successful pitches and breakout discussions, NRW.Global Business and TechUkraine are initiating direct B2B introduction protocols for matched company pairs. Dedicated follow-up sessions will focus on technical due diligence, cluster integration via NMWP.NRW and AeroSpace.NRW, and navigating EU export control and certification requirements.
About the Organizers
- TechUkraine is a non-profit organization and leading nationwide platform dedicated to uniting Ukraine’s technology ecosystem and driving its integration into the global digital and defence economy.
- NRW.Global Business GmbH is the trade and investment agency of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), facilitating international business settlement, bilateral trade, and industrial partnerships.
- NMWP.NRW & AeroSpace.NRW are official technology clusters of North Rhine-Westphalia uniting industry, research institutes, and state bodies in advanced materials, microelectronics, photonics, and aerospace technologies.
Media Contact:
TechUkraine Press Office | info@techukraine.org
NRW.Global Business GmbH | velychko@nrwglobalbusiness.com
NMWP.NRW | matthias.grosch@nmwp.de
