Tetiana Tyshchenko moderated Defenсe Innovation Discussion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Asters' Partner Tetiana Tyshchenko moderated a panel discussion “Building the Defence Tech Valley: Ecosystem Design in an Era of Accelerated Innovation” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) within the Brave1 US Investment Roadshow and Demo Day.

During the panel discussion which featured Chief Operating Officer of Brave1 Iryna Zabolotna and Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, Executive Director of MIT Mission Innovation Experimental, Managing Director of MIT’s venture studio Proto Ventures and Reserve Colonel in the United States Air Force Gene R. Keselman the participants discussed key trends in the development of the Ukrainian defence tech ecosystem.

Key points include:

• Ukrainian defence tech is shaping a new model of defence innovation, evolving not through traditional industrial cycles but in direct response to the dynamics of the modern battlefield
• close collaboration between engineers and military personnel has reduced the cycle of development, testing and deployment from years to just weeks
• the defence tech ecosystem is open to civilian tech talent: many engineers have transitioned from IT, robotics and AI, bringing the agility of tech entrepreneurship to the defence sector
• Ukraine has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic centres of defence innovation, creating hundreds of technology solutions proven in real combat conditions.
• the next strategic phase focuses on scaling Ukrainian technologies to global markets through stronger cooperation among technology companies, international investors, universities, and defence institutions

Tetiana Tyshchenko highlighted: "The role of technology in modern conflicts is changing radically. Autonomous systems, drones and artificial intelligence no longer merely support traditional defence capabilities, but they are shaping a new approach to warfare."

The event brought together international investors, members of the technology community, entrepreneurs and participants of the defence tech ecosystem interested in developing cooperation with Ukrainian technology companies and scaling innovations that are already being deployed in real combat conditions.

During the Demo Day, Ukrainian defence and dual-use startups presented their technological solutions and pitched to international investors, showcasing developments in areas such as autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, unmanned platforms, resilient communications operating under intense electronic warfare and counter-UAV systems.

Asters is the largest full-service law firm in Ukraine with offices in Kyiv, Brussels, London, and Washington, D.C. The firm has access to over 125 jurisdictions through a well-developed network of partner law firms.