Ukraine and Lithuania Launch Brave Lithuania Defense Innovation Grant Program
Ukraine and Lithuania have signed a letter of intent to launch Brave Lithuania, a bilateral defense innovation program designed to support the development and deployment of emerging military technologies. The agreement was announced during the NATO-Ukraine Defence Innovators Forum held in Vilnius.
The initiative will provide grant support for Ukrainian and Lithuanian companies and developers working in priority defense technology sectors. Areas of focus include unmanned systems, electronic warfare capabilities, artificial intelligence applications, communications technologies, and other solutions intended to address operational military requirements.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the primary objective of the program is to accelerate the development and fielding of innovative technologies for Ukraine’s defense forces while expanding cooperation between the defense innovation communities of both countries. The program will also include joint events and networking activities aimed at connecting developers, startups, and industry stakeholders.
The document was signed by Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Serhii Boiev and Lithuanian Vice Minister of National Defence Vitalija Zumerienė in the presence of Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė. On the Ukrainian side, implementation will be coordinated through the state-backed Brave1 defense technology cluster.
The launch of Brave Lithuania follows a broader effort by Kyiv to expand international defense innovation partnerships. Earlier this year, Ukraine and Germany announced plans for Brave Germany, a similar initiative intended to support defense technology startups and joint development projects.
The agreement reflects growing European interest in integrating Ukraine’s wartime innovation experience into broader defense-industrial cooperation frameworks. It also aligns with NATO-backed efforts to strengthen collaboration between Allied and Ukrainian defense technology ecosystems through programs such as UNITE-Brave NATO.
