Today, Ukraine is the world's largest producer of drones.
"When we talk about the evolution of drone building, I have witnessed both the rise and fall of this industry, as well as what is happening now. Indeed, what is happening in this industry in Ukraine now is an example for the whole world," - notes Valeriy Yakovenko, co-founder and managing partner of DroneUA.
During the first 8 years of the war, dozens of drone manufacturing companies emerged, but only 4-5 companies survived until the moment of full-scale invasion. Eventually, some drone manufacturers transitioned into commercial sectors, while others closed altogether. After February 24, 2022, there was a transformation of this market, and attention to Ukrainian manufacturers is now drawn not only from the Ministry of Defense and domestic customers but also a revolution in terms of attracting foreign investments.
"The technologies that emerged 'on the fly' in the first two months of the war were related to the creation of technologies that did not exist in the world before. This includes jamming enemy drones, various cover devices, and so on," - says Mr. Yakovenko.
As of now, foreign agencies are practically hunting for Ukrainian companies and startups to invest in them because they see the power of Ukrainian engineering thought and how quickly Ukraine can develop this industry.
DroneUA, along with other market players and in collaboration with state structures, is actively working on strengthening the competitiveness of Ukrainian developments, increasing the capacity of the drone technology industry, and attracting investments.
DroneUA expresses gratitude to the event organizer, Publishing House "Legal Practice," and its partners for the high-quality conference: IX Ukrainian Antitrust Forum — PRAVO.UA. DroneUA is also grateful to colleagues and representatives of state structures who shared their expertise and participated in the discussion: Lyudmila Buymister, chair of the subcommittee on competition and equal conditions for business development of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Economic Development; Natali Kurovska, Deputy Director of the Department of Procurement Policy of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine; Bohdana Yarova, advisor to the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine; Daria Kotova, ADVANQ advisor; Vladyslav Elbas, CEO of LLC "Ukrainian Armored Vehicles".
