On September 17th, 2025, MassRobotics welcomed a delegation of leaders from Ukraine UAV and robotics community to share experiences and meet with local startups, companies, and organizations in the drone and defense industry. The visit was supported by the Congressional Office for International Leadership, which facilitates exchanges with emerging leaders from strategic countries. 

The Ukrainian visitors brought extensive operational and production expertise developed during the ongoing war, and are now beginning to explore post-war opportunities for collaboration in the U.S. market. The delegation included representatives from:

  • IRON – Defense tech cluster based in Lviv
  • SkyFall Industries
  • Sine Engineering
  • UADUT (Ukrainian Dual-Use Technology Cluster)
  • Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA)
  • U.S.-Ukraine Foundation

Several U.S. startups and organizations participated in the session, including:

  • Aura Intelligent Systems 
  • Autonodyne
  • Black-I Robotics
  • GreenSight
  • Massachusetts State Police
  • MITRE
  • Modal AI
  • MVP Robotics 
  • Revolute Robotics
  • Rotor Technologies
  • US Army
  • USSOCOM

Each company provided a short overview of their work, ranging from autonomous navigation software to advanced aerial sensing systems and robotic platforms.

Valuable Discussions

Remarks from the Ukrainian Delegation included highlighting battlefield-tested UAV applications, rapid manufacturing strategies, and lessons learned from scaling production under urgent conditions.  They shared that most of their systems are built in-house, including batteries, and they continue to look to expand their supply chain, especially in the area of motors and cameras from suppliers other than China.  They also shared that with the current state of AI they are leaving battlefield tactical decisions to the soldier.  They do use autonomy solutions often for the last mile.

U.S. startups and community shared introductions covering their technologies, products, and areas of focus. In particular, some US startups are looking for manufacturing and assembly partners.

Open discussion between the delegation and MassRobotics guests focused on exploring opportunities for collaboration, from technology transfer to joint ventures and investment, along with discussion for joint R&D and relocating manufacturing. 

Building Bridges in UAV & UGV Innovation

This gathering highlighted the synergies between Ukraine’s operational UAV expertise and Boston’s robotics and defense ecosystem. The Ukrainian delegation shared valuable insights into the realities of deploying UAVs at scale in conflict zones, while U.S. companies offered perspectives on research, commercialization, and regulatory pathways.

The conversation set the stage for future partnerships, technology exchange, and expanded opportunities in both defense and civilian applications of drone technology.

As MassRobotics continues to serve as a hub for innovation and collaboration, meetings like this underscore the importance of global dialogue and partnership in advancing UAV and UGV technologies that can shape the future.