At the German-Ukrainian defense industry conference titled "Ukraine — Germany: Defense Industry Cooperation," Sergiy Pashynsky, Head of the National Association of Ukraine's Defense Industries (NAUDI), presented the association's development strategy and three-year achievements. According to him, NAUDI has progressed from initial presentations and exhibitions to active projects valued in the hundreds of millions of euros, and is now focused on finding partners for the joint development of new weapon systems.
From Presentations to Multimillion-Euro Projects
Pashynsky emphasized that over the past three years, NAUDI has made a significant leap: while initially the association's activities were limited to working presentations and exhibitions, today it involves concrete projects with horizontal partners in Germany. He noted that the so-called "Danish model" with German support has transformed into a network of horizontal solutions and joint projects, some of which are scheduled for next year.
Cooperation Strategy and Joint Weapon Development
A key element of NAUDI's strategy, according to Pashynsky, is finding partners and building cooperation, particularly in the development of new types of weapons. The head of the association reported that examples of such cooperation already exist and have been confirmed by successful trials. He assured conference participants that any real projects launched as a result of the meeting will receive the association's backing. Concluding his speech, Pashynsky urged the German side to "do everything to defend Europe."
Context: Dispute Over Defense Industry Worker Reservation Quota
Previously, NAUDI demanded that the Ministry of Economy withdraw a draft resolution lowering the reservation quota for defense industry workers from 100% to 85%. The association stated that such a norm threatens national security and could disrupt arms production and the fulfillment of existing defense contracts. In addition, NAUDI called for changing the approach to weapon development by moving toward forecasting needs a year in advance.
"Ukrainian Armor" and German Partnership
Alongside the statements by NAUDI leadership at the conference, the company "Ukrainian Armor," which is a member of the association and one of the largest suppliers of weapons and equipment for Ukraine's Defense Forces, is also actively seeking partners in Germany to produce armored vehicles. This confirms the systematic nature of Ukrainian-German cooperation in the defense sphere, extending beyond individual projects.
Pashynsky's speech at the conference, held under the motto "European Tech, Ukrainian Experience: Transforming Ideas into Shared Security," reflects the course of Ukraine's defense industry toward deeper integration into the European defense sector and securing Ukraine's position as a full participant in joint weapon development programs.
