Creating an Innovative Ecosystem for the Development of Unmanned Aviation in Ukraine: Synergy Between Science and Industry

An extensive review of existing literature, including scholarly articles, reports, and case studies related to innovative ecosystems, UAV technologies, and the role of research institutions in fostering innovation. This review aimed to identify successful models and practices from around the world that could be adapted to the Ukrainian context. Particular attention was given to the analysis of ecosystems in sectors relevant to UAVs, such as aerospace, defense technology, and digital transformation initiatives.

A detailed stakeholder analysis was conducted to map out the key players in the UAV ecosystem within Ukraine and internationally. This included universities (such as the National Aviation University and the National Technical University “KPI”), government agencies (e.g., the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine), private enterprises engaged in UAV design and manufacturing, venture capital funds, and international partners like the Łukasiewicz Research Network ‒ Institute of Aviation in Warsaw. The analysis focused on understanding the roles, interests, capabilities, and potential contributions of each stakeholder to the ecosystem.

A comparative analysis was performed to benchmark Ukraine’s UAV ecosystem against those in other countries with established and successful UAV innovation ecosystems. This analysis helped identify best practices, key success factors, and lessons learned that could inform the development of Ukraine’s UAV ecosystem.

The findings from the literature review, stakeholder analysis, and comparative analysis were synthesized to develop a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and potential pathways for establishing a vibrant UAV innovative ecosystem in Ukraine. Based on this synthesis, strategic recommendations were formulated to address the identified challenges and leverage opportunities for accelerating the development and commercialization of UAV technologies in Ukraine.

This multi-methodological approach enabled a thorough examination of the factors influencing the establishment of an innovative ecosystem for UAVs in Ukraine, offering a robust foundation for actionable strategies to enhance innovation, collaboration, and sustainability in the UAV sector.

Currently, the production of UAVs in Ukraine can be described as artisanal, as it is engaged in by many different small enterprises with limited orientation towards new knowledge and innovations. Adopting the ecosystem approach requires a review of the traditional business models of various organizations and government institutions, as well as a reassessment of the opportunities for cooperation among enterprises from various sectors of the economy, which can potentially provide additional opportunities to increase competitiveness and create new sources of income. The main idea of the approach is that the transformation of scientific knowledge into innovation requires cooperative efforts on the part of all stakeholders in the innovation process (universities, private enterprises, venture funds, etc.). In other words, innovations are fostered collectively, in a certain networked environment formed by legally independent participants between whom there are formal and informal arrangements. The ecosystem approach makes it possible to treat the issue comprehensively, taking into account various internal relationships and interactions with the external environment. It facilitates the integration of various methodological approaches and evaluating alternative ways of implementing UAV design and production strategies.

In an innovative business ecosystem, the dynamic interactions between business, science, education and the state are akin to those in a natural ecosystem, with each entity both influencing and being influenced by others, creating an ever-changing configuration in which each business must be flexible and adaptable to survive. The main factor in the evolution of business ecosystems is the minimization of aggregate public costs for the creation and dissemination of innovations, and its activities are aimed at collective actions in the field of creation of knowledge flows, support for technological development and commercialization of innovations. The ecosystem logic not only generates new ideas in the design of UAVs with a certain set of consumer values, but also allows for the identification of participants who have enough resources, capabilities, competences and capital to implement those ideas.

Fig. 1 presents a conceptual diagram of the formation of the UAV innovation ecosystem, which assumes that the value proposition (innovation) is determined first, then the types of activities necessary for its creation, and lastly the stakeholders, whose participation depends on whether the focal innovation will be produced. So, the key idea of forming an innovative ecosystem for UAVs is that cooperation among participants in the innovation process ensures the continuous creation of new ideas based on a complementary combination of resources, opportunities, competencies in various combinations, and thus contributes to the constant increase of the innovative potential of all participants. That is, the integration of science, education and business in the field of UAV development and production will contribute to the constant generation of new knowledge and the continuous flow of innovations at the request of consumers, driven by the synergistic efforts of all ecosystem participants.

Figure 1.

In the scheme presented, the participants of the UAV innovation ecosystem pool their resources on mutually beneficial terms, exchange common knowledge and work collectively with the aim of jointly achieving innovative results. They create value that none of them would be able to generate on their own. Therefore, the innovative UAV ecosystem should, on the one hand, create consumer value, since it is the consumer’s receptivity and willingness to pay for scientific advancements for further use that determines the consumer value of UAVs. On the other hand, the ecosystem must have value for its participants, i.e. create benefits for all stakeholders involved in generating ideas, designing products or manufacturing UAVs.

As we have adopted the structural approach – which involves the formation of an ecosystem based on a value proposition (focal innovation) – we first define a value proposition, then the types of activities necessary for its creation, and then finish with the stakeholders whose participation depends on whether the focal innovation will be produced (Fig. 2).

Figure 2.

This scheme shows that the basis for cooperation among various organizations and enterprises in a single innovative ecosystem is the focus on the final outcome of that cooperation – the creation of the next generation of UAVs with high competitiveness and innovation that meet the requirements of the military and civilian sectors of the economy. The approach underscores the consumer’s perception of UAV value, which encompasses the structural, technological, ecological, and ergonomic characteristics of the new product.

The value proposition of the UAV innovation ecosystem, in turn, should be based on the following: the creation of new market opportunities and the promotion of innovative products to domestic and international markets, production cooperation in supply chains to ensure the continuity of production and commercialization of innovations, the development of personnel potential and the creation of a creative environment for the generation of ideas among university students, their involvement in real projects, improving the qualifications of company personnel, boosting the organizational capacity of ecosystem participants, improving their business processes, as well as joint use of assets and better access to resources.

A great deal of research is currently underway on the design of both whole UAV systems and their individual components (airframes, engines, control systems, etc.), as well as in related areas (use of new energy sources, sensors, communication interfaces, etc.). In particular, Telli et al. (2023), in their extensive review of the worldwide literature, identified unresolved challenges in augmenting UAV efficiency, enhancing security, and countering cyber threats. They see potential solutions to these problems as lying in the use of modern information technologies, in particular, the Internet of Things, blockchain and artificial intelligence. Core AI technologies include machine learning and deep learning, natural language processing, image processing, object recognition and video analytics. Figure 3 summarizes the main directions of current and future scientific research related to the development of drones and the expansion of their functionality.

Figure 3.

As can be seen from the figure, the most promising areas of research are related to the use of state-of-the-art information technologies. The use of wireless sensors (IoT) is crucial for creating intelligent traffic control systems and improving the performance of UAVs. Sensor-equipped drones can collect data on crop health, soil moisture and temperature that can be analyzed in real time to inform irrigation and fertilizer decisions. Similarly, UAVs can be used to monitor natural disasters and assess damage, enabling a faster and more accurate response. The integration of various sensors, cameras, and radars allows information about the environment to be collected quickly, which can be processed and interpreted by computer vision algorithms. Modern big-data technologies create opportunities for fast transfer and processing of large arrays of information in real time. Artificial intelligence, in particular machine learning and deep learning algorithms, can be used to optimize flight modes, automatically adjust flight paths, and make autonomous decisions in collision avoidance scenarios. Detecting and avoiding collisions with manned aircraft is a key task in the operation of UAVs, especially in shared airspace.

Ukraine is currently engaged in a lot of research on the use of artificial intelligence technologies to track moving objects and automatically identify various types of targets. In particular, reconnaissance drones can not only scout for information, but also recognize hardware and transmit information in real time. For instance, the aforementioned Ukrainian company “DroneUA” has been successful in the field of artificial intelligence for agriculture.

Another crucial aspect of research focuses on enhancing the energy efficiency of UAVs, which is pivotal for improving UAV performance and capabilities, including flight time, payload, and range. In this context, the use of composite materials, the integration of electric and hybrid power systems, the use of light solar panels and energy storage systems are important. Researchers from Yunnan University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently presented a new object-detection system based on boundary computing – potentially enabling UAVs to detect objects with minimal power consumption, thanks to edge computing’s faster and more efficient data processing capabilities.

A separate area of research relates to the safety of UAVs and combating cyber threats through the implementation of reliable encryption, authentication mechanisms and effective countermeasures against cyber attacks. A very important challenge restraining the development of UAVs is ensuring the transmission of information via communication channels between the UAV and the ground control point, in the required amount, at the necessary speed and without distortion. This task can be solved by enhancing the bandwidth and immunity of information transmission channels, as well as by concentrating onboard the UAV a maximal set of component devices that work in autonomous (software) mode without the need for constant information exchange with the control point.

Another promising direction of research is swarm behavior, involving groups of UAVs able to cooperate and continually exchange information with one other. One of the challenges of swarm behavior is how to ensure effective cooperation between UAVs while adapting to changing conditions and environments. To address this problem, researchers are developing new algorithms for cooperation and coordination, as well as new approaches to task allocation and resource management. In addition, the development of algorithms that allow UAVs to operate autonomously and make decisions based on their environment, including the integration of AI techniques such as ML and DL, is an important aspect of swarm behavior. Last July, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ministry of Defense, General Staff and State Special Communications launched the “Army of Drones” project, which focuses on the state’s long-term needs and priorities in terms of drones and robotic platforms. The strategic plans of the Ministry of Defense for saturation with such weapons over the next decades will stimulate manufacturers and investors to invest in the creation of new production facilities and the development of new platforms.

On the other hand, after its victory in the current war, the Ukrainian drone market will require deregulation of the permit system and increased civilian oversight of the circulation and use of UAVs, especially given the emergence of a large number of qualified pilot operators among the military. Drones will find applications outside of military use, including in the field of infrastructure monitoring, expedited delivery services, and agriculture. The existing legislation needs to be revised in accordance with the needs of the market and the further development of the industry.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) defines the main requirements for the organization and implementation of the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS). The aim is to develop an international regulatory framework based on Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS), complemented by Air Navigation Services Rules (PANS) and guidance material, which will enable safe, coordinated and effectively integrated flights of UAVs similar to flights of manned aircraft. The most important task is ensuring that the integration of UAVs in non-segregated airspace does not lead to an increase in the level of risk to the safety of manned aviation flights. According to the recommendations within the framework of the civil aviation system, UAVs will play the role of an equal partner, able to interact with air traffic control authorities and with other aircraft in real time (Kharchenko, 2017).

So far, we have outlined a wide range of current scientific problems in the field of UAV design and production that can be solved more efficiently and effectively within the framework of the innovative ecosystem. The next important aspect is forming a set of partners interested in mutually beneficial cooperation, who have a common vision and understanding of how to achieve goals in the course of implementing the innovation ecosystem strategy. All innovative ecosystems, regardless of their level of creation, are formed at the initiative of participants, have a high degree of self-organization, an internal self-regulation mechanism and sufficient potential for self-development. Self-development arises as a result of continuous updates, and is also characterized by a decentralized way of decision-making. In our case, in order to develop an innovative ecosystem of UAVs, we must identify potential participants who have enough resources, capabilities, competence and capital to implement the general idea in a hierarchically structured manner (Fig. 4).

Figure 4.

This structure of the participants of the UAVs innovation ecosystem entails a transition from a linear model of creating innovations to a nonlinear one, where dynamic horizontal connections between the participants of the innovation process based on a complementary combination of resources, opportunities and competencies. At the same time, in our ecosystem model, an important role is played by the coordinator, who should facilitate the joint work of various participants. The coordinator ensures the resolution of conflicts, the creation of an conducive environment and the pursuit of common interests, and it actively engages external developers, startups, research institutions and other third-party organizations to participate in the open ecosystem.

The main hubs of the UAV innovation ecosystem are enterprises and organizations that engage in the ecosystem’s main activity of producing UAVs – namely design bureaus, developers and serial manufacturers of UAVs, aircraft engines and avionics. The activities of these hubs need to be integrated into the system, as a guarantee of coherent action towards achieving the common goal. However, the UAV production ecosystem is an open-type system that requires the development of interfaces with other groups, with which it cooperates and/or on whose activities it depends.

The first is the group of customers, which in Ukraine’s UAV production ecosystem consists of civil aviation enterprises, state aviation, aviation and multimodal logistics enterprises, organizations and individual customers of aviation and transport services. The civil aviation enterprises of Ukraine (as in other countries of the world) include airlines (state, non-state, mixed-capital, etc.) and aviation companies that provide services for various sectors of the national economy: agriculture, environmental monitoring of pipelines, forest areas, reservoirs, aerial photography, etc. The State Aviation of Ukraine, in turn, includes the Air Force, Army Aviation, Naval Aviation, National Guard Aviation, Police Aviation, Aviation of the State Emergency Service, Aviation of the State Border Guard Service, other State Aviation. Aviation and multimodal logistics enterprises play an increasingly powerful role in the air transportation market and are of particular importance in supporting the national economy in wartime conditions. Also, with the ecosystem approach, it is customary to take into account not only the needs and requests of direct operators of UAVs, but also those of the potential customers of UAVs services: organizations and individual customers of aviation and transport services.

The second group consists of entities supporting the production of UAVs, which includes: suppliers of units, systems and spare parts, organizations responsible for the certification of UAVs, organizations responsible for energy supply, nature protection organizations, organizations of fuel and lubricant support, the system of airports and airfields, and the air traffic control system. Looking forward, it is imperative to integrate service enterprises supporting the life cycle of unmanned aerial vehicles; their primary functions will include development and implementation of activities for the operation, modernization, repair and maintenance of UAVs. Special attention should be paid to the end of the life cycle of innovative products and the organization of recycling and disposal processes. Recycling should be aimed at the maximum possible secondary use of UAV materials and components or their use for the production of new goods or components, effectively creating a closed-loop drone supply chain infrastructure. In this cycle, manufacturers not only produce and distribute UAVs to customers but also encourage the return of these products for repair, resale, or component reuse – thereby adhering to the “Zero Waste” principles of minimizing waste and loss and fostering a new attitude towards the management of production and consumption waste.

The third group consists of entities providing innovative support and training of personnel of the aviation industry of Ukraine, which includes: scientific research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and institutions of other ministries and departments, research universities, experts and scientists of the aviation industry.

Let’s consider in more detail the role of research universities, which should become centers of innovation generation. Universities provide interdisciplinary and fundamental education while also supporting the research efforts of teachers, graduate students and undergraduates. In the context of the ecosystem approach, it is important to determine the avenues through which universities interact with scientific institutions and the business environment. The general scheme of such interaction is presented in Fig. 5.

Figure 5.

The innovation process at universities is built around the activities of entities that generate new knowledge (such as individual researchers, groups of researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, academic departments, laboratories, and divisions) and those focused on commercializing those innovations (departments dedicated to R&D, technology transfer centers, etc.). Key strategies for involving students in research and innovation include establishing start-up centers, organizing startup schools, holding startup competitions, organizing startup festivals and exhibitions of scientific works, supporting business incubator activities, etc.

For universities to effectively manage their scientific and educational endeavors, several foundational conditions must be met: 1)

Leadership within the universities should facilitate the generation and dissemination of new knowledge and technologies, going beyond the organizational structures, creating conditions conducive to the development of the necessary competencies and supporting continuous learning at higher education institutions.

Moreover, these units should formulate guidelines governing the relations between generators of new knowledge and technologies and the entities responsible for commercializing them, ensuring effective cooperation with other participants of the innovation ecosystem.

The organizational and economic mechanism for integrating education, science and business within the innovation ecosystem proposed here is a general outline, which requires further detailing, refinement, and customization in accordance with the specific needs of universities and the specifics of their functioning, as well as with the set purpose and goals of creating an innovative ecosystem.

At the National Aviation University (NAU) in Kyiv, Ukraine, the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies into the educational curriculum is deemed essential for equipping future aviation specialists with practical skills. Recognizing the importance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the global civil aviation industry, NAU has dedicated significant efforts to researching and developing experimental remotely piloted aircraft systems. The university’s research and production center, “Virage,” has developed a series of UAVs, including the single-engine M-3 “Border” and M-6 “Skylark,” as well as the twin-engine M-7, M-7D, M-7V5 “Sky Patrol,” and the electric motor-powered “Eye” UAVs. These UAVs serve as practical training tools for aviation specialists (see Fig. 6) (Isaienko et al., 2018).

Figure 6.

A significant component of NAU’s training program involves the use of simulators, including a complex of Air Traffic Control and Flight Simulators designed and operated at NAU (see Fig. 7). Simulator software with elements of artificial intelligence was jointly developed by NAU scientists and students. These simulators are designed for:

air traffic management (ATM) training for students and staff, simulating the real-world scenarios,

Figure 7.

The ATM simulator includes an air traffic control (ATC) tower simulator, a UAV flight simulator, and a Yak-18T airplane flight simulator.

NAU also boasts an Aerodynamic Research Center for conducting scientific and practical training in UAV aerodynamics, alongside a UAV Components Durability Complex Test System, which enables researchers and students to explore new UAV designs (Kharchenko et al., 2014). Collaborative efforts with the International University of Logistics and Transport in Wroclaw have focused on assessing the capacity and effectiveness of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in addressing logistical challenges within territorial infrastructure (Kharchenko et al., 2014). Furthermore, NAU develops methods for integrating, searching, recognizing, and processing data from satellite systems, navigation, and UAV onboard avionics (Isaienko et al., 2018).

Noise generation due to civil use of UAVs has been identified as an important issue, particularly over densely populated areas and especially given the potential for a rapid increase in UAV applications. NAU conducts intensive research on UAV noise prediction for commercial operations and community exposure (Makarenko et al., 2020; Tokarev & Makarenko, 2021), based on UAV acoustic characteristics in operational modes. The concept of acoustic noticeability of UAVs is introduced in order to mitigate the influence of noise and for urban noise management, making it possible to evaluate the extent of population exposure to UAV noise – especially important in low-altitude urban airspace. Traffic distribution of UAV flights based on the entropy approach (maximum entropy method) for air traffic system optimization with various operational scenarios is proposed to minimize noise exposure (Tokarev & Kazhan, 2014; Zaporozhets et al., 2011). NAU’s research extends to environmental impact considerations, including air pollution (Synylo et al., 2020), electromagnetic fields (Glyva et al., 2023), third-party risk (Zaporozhets et al. 2019) and visual pollution, highlighting the comprehensive scope of NAU’s commitment to advancing UAV technology and its responsible integration into civil aviation.

At the National Technical University of Ukraine “Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” (KPI), the development and research in UAV technologies have been significant, underpinned by the “Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine” (SCU) innovation ecosystem. This ecosystem integrates various structural divisions of the university, including the Department of Innovation and Technology Transfer, the scientific research sector, the Center of Intellectual Property, TechnoHab, the Sikorsky School Startup, KPI Challenge, and the Institute of Advanced Defense Technologies. Moreover, the SCU encompasses 15 regional and city innovation clusters, numerous enterprises, business associations, foundations, and maintains 10 representative offices across five countries: the United States, Israel, Poland, China, Azerbaijan.

KPI’s student design bureau for unmanned aerial vehicles and onboard equipment is a hub of innovation, where graduate and undergraduate students and faculty collaborate on modernizing existing aerial vehicles and devising new hardware models. This collaboration leverages advanced design methodologies, contemporary and emerging technologies for manufacturing airframe elements and onboard UAV equipment, and draws on the expertise of industry professionals from Yuavia and the Zlit Design Bureau. A notable achievement includes the development of a miniature integrated navigation system by the student design bureau. This system makes it possible to determine the parameters of UAV movement with high accuracy under difficult traffic conditions.

KPI’s connection with UAV development for the Ukrainian army is multifaceted:

KPI offers educational programs and courses in robotics, autonomous systems and robots, which allow students to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in these areas.

One of the promising startups is the UAV “Spectator,” developed by graduate student Roman Karnaushenka together with undergraduates Ihor Bogachuk and Yevhen Sedochenko. In order to achieve the ideal shape and good aerodynamics of the plane, they consulted with experienced scientists and engineers from KPI and Antonov State Enterprise. The “Spectator,” a UAV primarily intended for reconnaissance, features compact size that helps it remain inconspicuous and opaque to electromagnetic detection.

Currently, KPI scientists are working with engineers from the Meridian company to create civilian versions of unmanned aerial vehicles, with a focus on their use in agriculture, forestry and water management in Ukraine and other countries. Special drones are also being developed for monitoring oil pipelines, gas pipelines and power lines, as well as for cartography. Several so-called “civilian” drones have already been purchased by farmers, as they have proven to be very useful for agricultural monitoring. These UAVs allow multispectral surveying of a large area of agricultural fields in real time and analyzing crop condition. In one flight, such devices can cover an area of up to 500 hectares.

This work illustrates KPI’s significant contributions to both military and civilian UAV applications, fostering innovation and practical solutions in various sectors.