France launch scheme linking French firms with Ukrainian defence startups
Nov 3 (Reuters) – The European Commission and France’s state-backed investment bank Bpifrance announced a programme on Tuesday aimed at pairing French companies with Ukrainian defence startups, as European manufacturers seek closer ties with technology firms shaped by more than four years of full-scale war.
Ukraine’s defence industry has expanded rapidly since Russia’s 2022 invasion, with companies developing and adapting technologies at a pace that has drawn growing interest from European governments and defence manufacturers. The companies have also signed multiple cooperation agreements and joint ventures with Western peers.
• Backed by €150 million ($168 million) in EU guarantees and €13 million in annual grants, the initiative aims to create 30 partnerships between French and Ukrainian companies over the next three years
• The scheme targets sectors including drones, communications, navigation systems, space technologies and critical components
• The programme could support more than €480 million of financing, the organisers said
• Bpifrance will provide financing and support for joint projects under the programme, which is funded through the EU’s Ukraine Investment Framework
(Reporting by Maria Rugamer in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
