The European Commission has launched a new testing platform under the BraveTech EU initiative to evaluate military technologies in conditions reflecting real combat scenarios in Ukraine.
Backed by 35 million euros ($40.9 million), the platform is intended to accelerate the transition of selected systems from development to operational use.
Selection rounds are set to begin in June, followed by field testing and evaluation campaigns later in the year in coordination with Ukrainian authorities.
The initiative will assess how emerging technologies perform under battlefield conditions and determine their suitability for deployment.
Launched last year, the BraveTech EU program is structured to support cooperation between Ukrainian and European companies, facilitate access to funding, and improve the transition from research to deployment.
Supporting Ukraine, Boosting Military Innovation
The testing platform represents the next phase of BraveTech EU, following an initial stage for identifying promising defense technologies across Europe.
That phase, led by a consortium including Civitta, Starburst Accelerator, and Darkstar, focused on scouting and screening technologies from startups and companies, selecting those considered suitable for further testing.
BraveTech EU operates in coordination with Brave1, Ukraine’s government-backed defense innovation platform, to align European technological development with emerging needs.
It is supported through existing EU funding and innovation mechanisms, including the European Defence Fund and the EU Defence Innovation Scheme.
The EU and Kyiv are each expected to contribute up to 50 million euros ($58.5 million) to support joint projects.
