On October 21, the DFNC2: German Edition – German-Ukrainian Defense Industry Seminar was held. The event was organized by the Ministry of Strategic Industries, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Federation of German Industry (BDI) and the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The event was organized to provide an opportunity for Ukrainian and German defense companies to agree on cooperation in the defense industry.
“Ukraine is now a country of opportunities. It is here that defense industry trends for the coming decades are set. And new technologies are tested in real combat operations. And, of course, we are ready to share the lessons learned and experience gained with our partners. We already have experience of cooperation with German companies and will be happy to expand it. So we invite our partners to cooperate,” said Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries.
The seminar brought together over a hundred participants. These are representatives of 35 Ukrainian companies, including associations, two Ukrainian-German companies and 12 German companies, including associations. More than 100 b2b and b2g meetings were held on the sidelines of the event.
“Strengthening defense and industrial cooperation is vital and in line with the strategic interests of Ukraine and Germany. This opens up great opportunities for innovation,” said Matthias Wachter, Head of International Cooperation, Security, Defense and Space Policy at the German Federation of Industry.
According to Minister Herman Smetanin, Ukraine has a successful experience of cooperation with German companies. This includes the joint venture between Rheinmetall and Ukroboronprom to repair German armored personnel carriers, cooperation with Helsing in the field of artificial intelligence, the opening of the KNDS office, and the production of Quantum Systems, among others. Events such as the German-Ukrainian Defense Industry Seminar DFNC2: German Edition are part of the DFNC ecosystem and contribute to the creation of new cooperation agreements, which the Ministry of Strategic Industries is working on in cooperation with relevant ministries and agencies to strengthen the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
