26 Mar 2026
by Daniel Clarke

Report: Next steps for UK-Ukraine cooperation in tech, trade and defence

 techUK has published a new paper, Next steps for UK-Ukraine Cooperation in Tech, Trade and Defence, which sets out a practical agenda for deepening collaboration between the UK and Ukraine across defence-tech, innovation and digital trade. The paper argues that the next phase of UK-Ukraine collaboration must now focus on creating clearer, more usable routes for businesses to find partners, test solutions, unlock investment and trade more easily across borders. 

Drawing on techUK’s work with both governments, the UK–Ukraine Tech Bridge, and insights from the first techUK member delegation to Ukraine in September 2025, the paper identifies three persistent barriers to deeper cooperation: opportunity, certainty, and information. Its central message is that political ambition now needs to be matched by practical mechanisms that make collaboration easier for firms on both sides.

The paper makes a series of recommendations across defence tech, the Tech Bridge, and trade.

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Next Steps for UK–Ukraine Cooperation in Tech, Trade and Defence front cover.jpg

 

Key asks from the paper 

Defence-tech 

  • Establish a dedicated UK-Ukraine Defence Tech Fund, delivered through BRAVE1 with UK strategic oversight, to support joint innovation challenges and accelerate promising technologies. 
  • Create a formal mechanism for British defence-tech firms to test and validate products in Ukraine against frontline needs, with clearer priority areas and practical support for SMEs. 
  • Use the Defence Business Centre in Kyiv to help companies navigate security, insurance, compliance, partner-finding and engagement with Ukrainian end users. Ensure the Centre develops a Trusted Partner Roster and standard contract and IP pack to make testing and co-development faster and easier.
  • Launch a programme to attract leading Ukrainian defence-tech firms to establish co-production capacity in the UK. 

Tech Bridge 

  • Provide additional funding so the UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge can expand its remit to include defence-tech and dual-use innovation. 
  • Use the Tech Bridge as a clearer front door for Ukrainian firms looking for UK partners, investors, accelerators and routes into the UK market. 
  • Build a secure digital platform through the Tech Bridge so verified Ukrainian firms can identify UK defence and dual-use companies and pursue partnerships remotely. 

Trade 

  • Launch a UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Corridor to make trade faster, cheaper and easier for businesses. 
  • Align UK and Ukrainian electronic trade documents through bilateral interoperability based on international digital trade standards. 
  • Establish an annual Digital Economy Dialogue to give government and industry a formal channel to address barriers and identify new opportunities. 
  • Create a Ukraine Reconstruction OGEL for pre-vetted non-lethal dual-use goods, alongside practical export control guidance for SMEs. 

Matthew Evans, COO & Director of Markets, techUK, said: 

The UK and Ukraine have built one of the most important technology and defence partnerships in Europe. The task now is to turn strong political commitment into practical routes for businesses to collaborate, innovate and grow. This paper sets out clear, actionable steps to deepen cooperation in defence-tech, strengthen the UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge, and make trade faster and easier. By giving firms clearer routes to find partners, test solutions, unlock investment and trade across borders, we can help strengthen Ukraine’s resilience today while building long-term shared security and prosperity for both our countries.

Mariia Shevchuk, Executive Director of techUK’s sister organisation IT Ukraine Association, said:  

IT Ukraine Association, as the largest national tech association, welcomes this paper as a timely and practical contribution to strengthening UK–Ukraine cooperation in defence and technology. The proposed ideas create a strong foundation for deeper collaboration, and we stand ready to work with both governments and industry partners to turn these opportunities into tangible outcomes. 

 

Taken together, the paper argues for a more deliberate architecture for UK-Ukraine business collaboration, one that gives firms clearer routes to partner, test, invest and trade. The aim is not just to support Ukraine’s resilience now, but to build long-term shared security and prosperity through stronger industrial and technology ties. 

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Meet the team 

Sabina Ciofu

Sabina Ciofu

International Policy and Strategy Lead, techUK

Daniel Clarke

Daniel Clarke

Senior Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK

Theophile Maiziere

Theophile Maiziere

Policy Manager - EU, techUK

Tess Newton

Team Assistant, Policy and Public Affairs, techUK

 

 

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Authors

Daniel Clarke

Daniel Clarke

Senior Policy Manager - International Policy and Trade, techUK

Dan joined techUK as a Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade in March 2023.

Before techUK, Dan worked for data and consulting company GlobalData as an analyst of tech and geopolitics. He has also worked in public affairs, political polling, and has written freelance for the New Statesman and Investment Monitor.

Dan has a degree in MSc International Public Policy from University College London, and a BA Geography degree from the University of Sussex.

Outside of work, Dan is a big fan of football, cooking, going to see live music, and reading about international affairs. 

Email:
[email protected]

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