As part of the U.S.-Ukraine Tech Partnership Initiative, StrategEast participated in AI+Expo in Washington, D.C. — one of the leading international events focused on artificial intelligence and defense technologies.
Within the framework of the Expo, StrategEast and Diia.City Union co-hosted the side event “Innovation Under Fire: Lessons Learned from Ukraine,” dedicated to the rapid evolution of Ukraine’s wartime innovation ecosystem into one of the world’s fastest-growing defense-tech sectors. The discussion highlighted how battlefield conditions accelerated the development of combat-tested technologies, enabling Ukrainian companies to rapidly adapt, refine, and scale solutions in real operational environments.
The event featured a dedicated panel discussion, “Technology on the Battlefield: How Ukraine is Shaping the Future of Defense Innovation,” moderated by Hanna Myshko, Regional Director for the Gulf States, Ukraine, and Moldova at StrategEast. Speakers included Joey Gagnard, Director of Field Operations at Swarmer; Mykola Mazur, CEO of US Operations at Airlogix; Stanislav Hryshyn, Co-founder and Chief Strategic Director at General Cherry; and John Hardie, Deputy Director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
The discussion explored how Ukrainian defense companies are scaling globally through joint ventures, strategic partnerships, software-driven defense models, and investment expansion, while also addressing challenges related to manufacturing standards and long-term allied cooperation. Speakers emphasized the growing strategic importance of Ukraine’s defense innovation ecosystem within broader transatlantic security and industrial frameworks. Particular attention was given to resilient supply chains and reducing dependency on Chinese components in next-generation defense production.
The broader Ukraine-U.S. Tech Dialogue at AI+Expo also featured senior government representatives, including Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Olha Stefanishyna and Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Stanislav Prybytko. Discussions focused on the future of transatlantic technology cooperation and Ukraine’s expanding role within the allied innovation ecosystem.
The conversations reinforced that Ukraine’s wartime innovation ecosystem is evolving beyond rapid adaptation into a strategic force shaping next-generation defense technologies and long-term allied industrial cooperation.
