The platform is to encourage military technologies and vehicles research and will thus coordinate all the other stakeholders involved in research.
The state concern “UkrOboronProm” is launching UkrARPA – a platform that will bring together developers, startups, investment funds and the military. UkrARPA is set up on the model of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), USA. Its main goal is to identify the most pressing problems in defense and propose developers to create innovative equipment models for their solution. This was reported by representatives of the state concern “UkrOboronProm” at a press briefing held at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
“Our goal is to ensure efficient and quality production and use the scientific potential to the fullest extent through consolidated work,” said Roman Romanov, Director General of UkrOboronProm. “UkrARPA I believe will convert Ukraine’s great potential into solving problems that will enhance its economic and security future,” noted Dr. Anthony Tether, Adviser to the Director General of UkrOboronPromю
“Today our database presents more than 500 developments provided by our universities and private developers. But most of them are performed in an initiative manner. They do not solve any specific problems. Our task is to identify problems and propose to find a solution. This is the main task of UkrARPA,” noted Artur Kheruvymov, Deputy Director General for Development of UkrOboronProm. He said that in this way the first Ukrainian unmanned combat air vehicle “Horlytsya” and remotely-controlled armored fighting vehicle “Phantom” were developed.
Artur Kheruvymov informed that during this week the project has been discussed with the highest military officials, research centers, universities, design bureaus and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade. “The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has been creating a working group that will cooperate with us in implementing the project,” he noted. At the early stages UkrOboronProm will be responsible for UkrARPA, then this function will be delegated to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.