Ukraine's Ministry of Defense issued 30 technology licenses to defense manufacturers in the fourth quarter of 2025, marking the first wave of production under a new system that transfers battlefield innovations developed by soldiers into mass manufacturing, the ministry announced on 6 January.
The licensing mechanism opens a pipeline from field-tested prototypes to factory floors, allowing multiple manufacturers to simultaneously scale technologies that troops developed within the military system. The first weapons made under these licenses are already reaching the Defense Forces.
"The best solutions born directly in the Ukrainian military must be quickly scaled up and work for our defenders," Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
Three technology categories now open to industry
The experimental project covers three technology areas: electronic reconnaissance systems, countermeasures against Shahed-type attack drones, and precision-guided munitions with automatic terminal guidance.
These categories address some of Ukraine's most pressing battlefield needs. Russian Shahed drones have become a primary strike weapon, overwhelming Ukrainian air defenses with nightly swarms targeting cities and energy infrastructure. Low-cost Ukrainian countermeasures developed in combat are now entering serial production across multiple facilities.
The system emerged from Resolution 1310, which the Cabinet of Ministers adopted on 13 October 2025. That resolution created a legal framework for transferring ministry-developed technologies to industry while keeping them under state ownership.
Who qualifies for access
The program is open to Ukrainian manufacturers meeting at least one of three criteria: holding existing state defense contracts, being designated as critically important for Armed Forces supply, or appearing in the electronic registry of defense procurement participants.
Foreign partners from NATO and EU countries can also access the technologies under one condition: weapons they produce must return to Ukraine as military-technical assistance.
"This decision implements a new system for working with defense technologies — from now on, effective developments immediately go into production and work to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities," Shmyhal said. "This will allow us to increase production volumes, expand the range of weapons, and leverage the potential of our partners from EU and NATO countries."
Removing production bottlenecks
The licensing model addresses a structural problem: individual companies cannot scale combat-proven innovations fast enough. By licensing the same technology to multiple manufacturers simultaneously, the ministry removes capacity constraints at single firms.
Produced weapons flow to the Armed Forces through state procurement, maintaining quality control and transparent resource management. The Ministry of Defense will announce available technologies directly and through the Innovation Development Fund and industry associations.
Security vetting and quality audits remain in place. Technologies stay in state ownership, with access granted only to vetted manufacturers under contractual terms protecting national interests.
