European Commission launches new combat testing platform to support Ukraine, stimulate military innovation
The European Commission has launched a new testing platform to evaluate military technologies in real combat scenarios, marking the next stage of the joint Ukraine-EU BraveTech EU initiative for the accelerated implementation of military technologies for the Ukrainian defense industry.
According to a press release from the European Commission on Wednesday, the platform with a budget of EUR 35 million is designed to accelerate the introduction of high-priority innovations directly onto the battlefield in Ukraine.
According to the European Commission, such implementation is already underway: the first selection events are planned for June 2026, with initial field trials and evaluation campaigns scheduled for autumn 2026 in close cooperation with Ukraine. By bridging the gap between European laboratories and urgent needs on the front line, the initiative strengthens the EU defense sector while providing Ukraine with immediate and tangible support, the press release explained.
The European Commission noted that this stage follows the first phase of BraveTechEU, which was awarded to a consortium including Civitta, Starburst Accelerator and Darkstar. The first stage identified and filtered the most promising solutions from innovators across Europe. The newly launched testing platform will now put these technologies through rigorous testing simulating specific operational conditions observed during the war in Ukraine, the report said.
The European Commission recalled that BraveTechEU was announced in July 2025 by European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius and Ukrainian Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, launching close cooperation with the Ukrainian innovation cluster Brave1, Ukraine’s government defense-tech platform, to ensure that European technological development matches the realities of modern warfare.
