Solidarity in action: ADS extends free membership to Ukrainian defence companies
September 11, 2025
For the first time in history, ADS Group, the UK’s national trade association for the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, is opening its membership to non-UK participants. In a show of solidarity, ADS is extending a dedicated membership offer to Ukrainian defence companies.
The membership was formally launched during a Taskforce KINDRED-led briefing marking 100 years of UK-Ukraine partnership. In the 48 hours since launch, around 10 Ukraine-headquartered companies have already applied for the ADS membership.
The new category of membership is intended to serve as a catalyst for engagement with the UK defence ecosystem, providing Ukrainian firms with access to potential partners and joint opportunities.
“We are committed to supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s illegal invasion,” says Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard. “We commend ADS’s offer of membership to Ukrainian businesses.”
Free ADS membership for Ukraine’s defence companies
ADS confirmed to AGN that the membership will be offered free of charge for an initial period, underlining its commitment to removing barriers for Ukrainian companies and supporting their role in Europe’s collective security effort.
“The last three years have been a sobering reminder to us all that industrial collaboration, cooperation and engagement are critical for national resilience,” says Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS. “The experience and welcome that ADS have received from our Ukrainian counterparts is truly unparalleled, and with Russian aggression showing no signs of abating, we are proud to formally extend our membership to support our Ukrainian friends and colleagues.”
As members of ADS, Ukrainian companies will be able to access a wide range of support and collaboration, including,
- Business-to-business networking with UK industry
- Participation in ADS-led trade missions to Ukraine
- Access to online events and wider ADS programmes
- A platform to engage with the broader ADS membership base
To be eligible, participants must be headquartered in Ukraine and hold a letter of recommendation from an approved partner.
Ukraine as a hub for defence innovation
Ukraine’s defence industry and military have become a showcase of rapid innovation under fire. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has had to fight an industrialised war without an industrial base on the scale of its opponent.
The result has been a burst of ingenuity, much of it born from necessity and often blending state industry, private startups, and frontline feedback.
Much has been talked about Ukraine’s use of drones, considered its signature innovation, but the war has seen incredible agility and creativity in many aspects of defence. For example:
- Rapid battlefield R&D: Startups and workshops operate on a ‘garage to frontline’ model, using direct input from soldiers to shorten feedback loops and iterate new prototypes in weeks rather than years.
- Digital command and control: The Delta battlefield management system, developed by Ukraine’s MoD and tech volunteers, integrates satellite imagery, drone feeds, and open-source intelligence into a shared digital map, allowing Ukraine to conduct network-enabled operations despite limited conventional assets.
- Electronic warfare innovation: Sophisticated jamming and spoofing tools have become a key defence, protecting critical infrastructure and countering Russian drones and missiles
- Improvisation and adaptation: Repurposing legacy Soviet-era equipment has given new life to old kit. Civilian vehicles and boats have been adapted into combat tools, giving Ukraine mass where it otherwise had none.
Ukraine’s innovations are being closely studied by Western militaries, which see lessons to be learned from its innovative, agile approach to conflict.
“Ukraine’s defence industries are driving innovation at the cutting edge of the new era of warfare,” Pollard added. “Closer engagement between the British and Ukrainian defence sectors will ensure that we are collectively stronger when facing today’s threats.”
For the wider defence industry, many of Ukraine’s achievements – Rapid R&D, digital command and control, EW innovation – are all high priorities for the next era of combat. Bringing Ukraine’s laboratory for wartime innovation closer to Britain will ensure the UK defence industry can learn directly from a partner redefining modern warfare.
