European-Ukrainian move to establish an industrial alliance to boost drone production on the continent

The European Commission announced the launch of a new initiative calling on specialized companies to join a joint alliance with Ukraine aimed at developing drone manufacturing capabilities within the European continent and strengthening its defense systems.

The Commission said in a statement that “this alliance aims to bring together manufacturers, innovators and users from the European Union and Ukraine in order to contribute to ongoing European efforts to build a comprehensive capability in the field of drones and counter-drone systems.”

It added that the initiative would also be open to countries in the European Economic Area, noting that “the alliance will be open to the accession of member states of the European Economic Area such as Norway, Switzerland and Iceland.”

The Commission also called on companies with expertise in manufacturing drones and counter-drone systems to submit their applications, setting a deadline of May 25.

This alliance will be launched in coordination with EU member states, especially since a number of them have already signed cooperation agreements with Ukraine in this field, including Germany.

In this context, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky launched a strategic partnership in mid-April based on strengthening military cooperation, particularly in the field of drones. Zelensky said at the time that “the two countries are also working on a bilateral agreement on drones,” according to Agence France-Presse.