An Accelerator for Innovative Development has been created at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine – a permanent consultative and advisory body designed to organize and implement projects in the direction of scientific and technical activities of the department.
The Decree on the formation of the Accelerator was signed by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov. With the same document, the head of the defense department approved the composition of the consultative and advisory body.
The resulting structure will implement and implement strategies, programs, projects and processes, “accelerate” the development of innovative capabilities of the units of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, the Accelerator will become a platform for searching for modern new models of weapons and military equipment, information and communication technologies. Also, one of the directions of its activity provides for the improvement of mechanisms for providing goods, works, services for defense purposes. The accelerator is primarily aimed at Ukrainian manufacturers and developers.
“The Ministry of Defense is now not just a consumer of products, but a partner in the development, manufacture and supply of the best equipment and weapons for the best army in the world – the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Institutionally, we are becoming more open not only for developers of weapons and military equipment, but also for enterprises, specialists, investors who want to cooperate with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. Those who have ideas and developments, who already have finished products, but they do not know “which door to knock on” – for them, the Accelerator will become the “only window of entry” to the Ministry of Defense. The accelerator has its own web platform – an information resource that ensures its activities. De facto, the team has already been working for a certain time, showed a good result, and we have fixed this activity de jure. Together with Ukrainian manufacturers, we are repelling Russian aggression today and building the Ukrainian army of “tomorrow’s” model,” commented Oleksiy Reznikov.
According to the Minister, organizationally, the Accelerator of the Ministry of Defense is modern management methods and IT solutions. It will speed up work on the development of applications from the developers of technical innovations, their evaluation and further progress towards approval for operation.
The decision-making process, in particular, on the admission of a new sample to operation will last no more than 45 days. Previously, this period could be up to 2 years. During these one and a half months, the project documents and technical documentation are checked, and the results of preliminary tests and examinations are also evaluated. In the case of positive conclusions, a sample of weapons or equipment is codified in the register of Ukraine and NATO (if necessary) and allowed for operation by order of the Ministry, Oleksiy Reznikov specified.
The composition of the consultative and advisory body consists of 13 people. It will be headed by Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Volodymyr Gavrilov. The work is coordinated by Serhiy Loboiko, state expert of the Directorate of Digitalization Policies, Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Cybersecurity in the Defense Sphere of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
The Accelerator for Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defense invites developers of weapons and military equipment with samples of a high level of technological readiness to cooperate.
The most relevant for the Armed Forces today, in particular, are unmanned systems, communication systems, intelligence and analytics of the collected data. Technical innovations are also needed to modernize and improve the effectiveness of ammunition and samples of weapons and military equipment, weapons according to new principles of operation.
Both individuals and enterprises of private or state ownership can offer their innovative projects to the Ministry of Defense.
Those wishing to join the team of the Accelerator for Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine must fill out the appropriate form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-9nKQCCeLAzFx6qUgA9sOreGJ0w0CrqxgyhSm22rN-8/edit