08:30   Registration and morning refreshments

09:15   Session 1A: The UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership And Its Contribution To The UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy

• Combining UA military innovation with UK and European engineering capabilities. Deepening collaboration
• UK, Ukraine and the emerging European security architecture
• Transitioning from battlefield improvisation to a formally industrialised programme allowing for faster production, sustainable replenishment and NATO-aligned standards
• Mutual benefits to be gained from the sharing of battlefield data
• How the Kyiv Business Centre can ensure the UK and JEF defence industries, particularly SMEs, are best placed to continue to work with the UA armed forces
• Defence as a key export industry for Ukraine and a driver of economic growth

10:00   Session 1B: “Build In Ukraine”: Frontline Warfare Innovation And Private Sector Collaboration

• Examples of collaboration between private sector companies and frontline soldiers
• Case studies including the Project Octopus interceptor drone and the Nightfall project and the development of new tactical ballistic missiles for Ukraine
• Appraising the new Ukrainian defence export regulations
• Key developments in defence procurement reform in Ukraine
• The growth of collaboration between the private sector and frontline troops

11:00   Morning refreshments

11:30 Session 2A: “Build With Ukraine” - Scaling Defence Industrial Cooperation Between UA, UK And European Companies 

• Lure of UK for Ukrainian companies to produce and scale
• Case studies of collaboration, including JVs and M&A activities, between Ukrainian and international defence tech companies
• A focus on components and achieving self-sufficient supply-chains in Ukraine and throughout Europe and NATO. Ukrainian grant programmes for component manufacturers
• Guidelines for Ukrainian defence tech companies seeking access to the UK and European markets

12:15   Session 2B: Competitors or Collaborators? Is Cooperation Between UK, European And US Companies Essential For Scale And Effective End-User Delivery?

• Does the importance of scaling and speed of delivery to the end-user trump proprietary considerations?
• What mechanisms can be used to further cooperation for the benefit of all stakeholders, including the end-user?
• Licencing agreements and intellectual property to strengthen industrial cooperation?

13:00   Lunch

14:00   Fireside Chat - The Emergence Of Ukrainian Tech Primes

14:20   Session 3: The Changing Nature Of Financing The Fast-Growing And Evolving Ukrainian And European Defence Tech Ecosystems?

• The role of VC in funding the rapid scaling of serial production and expanding product portfolio
• How to realise true international market valuations for Ukrainian defence tech firms
• The outlook for further defence tech IPOs in Europe
• An overview of M&A activity and consolidation in Ukrainian and European defence tech
• Is the situation improving regarding access to certain types of capital (loans, credit, insurance)?

15:30   Afternoon refreshments

16:00   Session 4: Pitch Session – Attracting Investment For The Most Promising Defence Tech Companies From Ukraine

• Brave1 Market and new initiatives
• The use of digitalisation and business analytics in warfare
• What is required to achieve full autonomy on the battlefield?
• Has autonomous drone technology truly taken off?
• Predicting and neutralising enemy attacks using AI
• Priority and emerging technologies and categories:

Ballistic and anti-ballistic missiles, Interceptor drones, Heavy payload unmanned copters, Jet-powered interceptor drones, Tactical acoustic sensors, Voice AI target processing systems, Laser-guided artillery, Ground robotic systems, Private sector air defence, Wheeled UGVs, Drones for demining, Modular tethered and autonomous systems

17:30   Evening reception