These issues shaped the discussion during the event “Joint Ventures in the Defense Industry: How Ukrainian Companies Can Build Partnerships with International Players,” organized by We Build Ukraine together with the Federation of Employers of Ukraine’s FEU Defence and the law firm Arzinger.
The participants discussed how Ukraine can take advantage of the current window of opportunity, consolidate its role in the global defense industry, and retain its teams, technologies, and production capacities.
The discussion focused on the practical and legal aspects of establishing joint ventures:
🔹 navigating export control procedures;
🔹 protecting intellectual property and know-how;
🔹 screening foreign investments;
🔹 securing financing and forming share capital;
🔹 the role of special exporters;
🔹 distributing corporate control between partners.
The participants also discussed why agreements between companies often fail to translate into actual production and which issues must be resolved before agreements are signed.
Ukrainian companies and international investors shared their experience of navigating the various stages of establishing joint ventures, from finding a partner and structuring a deal to raising financing and launching production cooperation.
A strong joint venture should combine Ukrainian technologies, engineering teams, and combat expertise with capital, production capabilities, international certification, and access to global markets.
At the same time, key competencies, intellectual property, and research centers must remain the foundation for the development of Ukraine’s defense ecosystem.
The discussion featured:
🔹 Oleksandr Kubrakov — Founder of We Build Ukraine;
🔹 Ihor Fomenko — Head of FEU Defence;
🔹 Taras Kyslyi — Partner and Attorney at Arzinger;
🔹 Maria Berlinska — Head of Victory Drones, Co-founder of Dignitas Fund, and Founder of the NGO Aerial Reconnaissance Support Center;
🔹 Borys Lobovyk — Partner and Head of Legal Practice at EY Ukraine;
🔹 Oleksandr Fedoryshyn — Director of the State Foreign Trade Enterprise SpetsTechnoExport;
🔹 Torkel Engeness — General Partner at Sandwater and Co-founder of Gardar;
🔹 Mykhailo Diachenko — CBDO at TAF Industries;
🔹 Denys Hurak — Co-founder and COO/CIO of MITS Capital;
🔹 Timur Bondaryev — Founding Partner and Attorney at Arzinger.
We thank the speakers, experts, business representatives, and government institutions for an open and substantive discussion.
