The head of the miltech group L7 Elena Dushyna published a column in the media Speka on how to create R&D centers in miltech companies during the war. In the material, she explains why speed andreliability should be balanced, and military — integrated into the development processfrom day one.

Main theses of the column:

● R&D center structure. Key areas are designers, electronics, IT and technical documentation. The team shouldbe multidisciplinary: creative and system specialists.

● The military are not external customers, they are co-developers: they form tasks, test prototypes and provide instant feedback.

● Minimization of “unsuccessful” developments.Thanks to working for real demands, the proportion of unsuitable prototypes is only 1— 2%, and their adaptations are integrated into other products.

● Balance of speed and quality. The average cycle from request to finished solution is 3-6 months. It is importantto abandon the secondary, but not the reliability.

● Key principles. Small prototype, quick check, integration with fighters and flexibility in the team.

● System barriers. Bureaucracy, uneven regulation and lack of government support hamper R&D development, although there is potential for centralized R&D centers.

● International context. Ukraine can become a hub of innovative miltech solutions, repeating the example of Israel andSouth Korea.

“R&D at miltech is a daily survival tool. Our experience proves: even in the most difficult conditions, it is possible to build system development centers that are fast, innovative and reliable at the same time. In the future, it is those companies that learn to balance between speed and quality, will set the tone in Ukrainian and world miltech”, emphasizes Olena Dushyna.

You can fully familiarize yourself with the column by reference.