Finnish and Ukrainian firms deepen defence and dual-use tech ties at Tampere summit

A two-day dual-use and defence summit in Tampere on 17–18 March brought industry players, cluster representatives and public stakeholders together to explore partnerships and new launches. Organisers said the event aimed to deepen cooperation between Finnish and Ukrainian defence companies.

Around ten Ukrainian firms presented their work and needs. Andrii Makhnyk of the IRON cluster urged faster deployment of innovations into practical use. “The goal is to accelerate the development and deployment of defence technologies and bring innovations quickly into practical applications,” he said. Among the presenters were Angler, Besomar, Tech Ex, Drone Signal Solution, Girolab, Zvook, DevDroid, Farsight, Frontline Robotics, Douple Tap Investments and Tencore.

Finland’s proximity to Russia gives the countries an immediate political and operational understanding that is harder to find elsewhere, participants noted. “This is not just about equipment, but about what we feel inside,” said Danylo Goncharuk of Tencore. Mykyta Rozhkov of Frontline Robotics added: “When you succeed, everyone calls it the Finnish model.” Organisers also noted that Russia continues the war of aggression it launched against Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

Concrete steps are already under way. Tencore and Tampere-based technology company Insta signed a letter of intent on technology cooperation at the end of February. Petri Reiman, CEO of Insta Advance, praised Ukrainian partners as innovative and said Insta plans to begin manufacturing unmanned ground vehicles in Finland before adapting them for Arctic conditions. He added that negotiations are advanced with three companies and that Insta will rely on partners across the supply chain rather than attempting everything alone.

Sine Engineering is recruiting ten employees in Tampere and develops communications and positioning solutions for drones in contested environments. Iina Vaitiniemi, Business Tampere’s new dual-use technology specialist and one of the event organisers, said her priorities are building sustainable links between companies, research institutions and the public sector and raising the region’s visibility in the international security technology ecosystem. The event was organised by Business Tampere together with DDE, eAlliance by Patria and Telia.