Ukraine and Norway Launch Brave-Norway Program to Support Defense Startups with €20 Million

Ukraine and Norway have signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of defense innovations, which includes the establishment of a joint program called Brave-Norway. The main goal of this initiative is to support the development of technology startups in the defense sector of both countries, particularly those specializing in unmanned systems and innovative solutions for the Armed Forces.

This is reported by AgroReview

Grants for Startups and Joint Technology Platforms

The program plans to provide grants to Ukrainian and Norwegian defense tech startups. In addition, joint hackathons will be organized to generate innovative ideas and create specialized platforms aimed at bringing together scientists, companies, and entrepreneurs from both countries for the collaborative development of modern technologies.

Budget and Implementation of the Brave-Norway Program

The launch of the Brave-Norway program is scheduled for the end of 2025. The total budget amounts to €20 million, equally provided by Ukraine and Norway. The Ukrainian side in the implementation of the initiative will be represented by the defense cluster Brave1, while the Norwegian side will be represented by the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI). Funding from Norway will be directed towards grant support for innovative projects in the field of defense technologies.

Testing of the developed solutions will take place on the territory of Ukraine. If the innovations are successfully tested, they may be implemented for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The document lays the foundation for the creation of the joint Brave-Norway program, which will promote the development of defense tech startups and strengthen technological partnership between the two countries.