IRON DEMO 2025: Demonstrating the Power of the Defense Tech Ecosystem and Launching a Global Alliance

On August 1-2, Lviv hosted IRON DEMO 2025, a key event of the Ukrainian defense tech sector, which brought together about 1000 participants and 78 companies that presented hundreds of innovative products in the areas of electronic warfare, UAVs, and ground robotics created for the front line.

Over two days, the participants observed more than 15 dynamic demonstrations at the training ground, 15 pitches from early-stage and promising startups, and participated in specialized workshops and panel discussions from industry leaders, military, developers, investors, government officials, and international partners.

Defense tech is not just about technology. It is about the ability to join forces.

IRON DEMO 2025 demonstrated how the cluster ecosystem works when the development, production, testing, acceleration, and support of Ukrainian manufacturers are combined.

What did the event show?

The effectiveness of synergy. IRON DEMO 2025 became a platform where military tech companies not only met with users but also received feedback.

Focus on implementation. We have collected promising prototypes and solutions that have already passed combat testing and are actively used at the front.

Evolution of the cluster model. In two years, the IRON cluster has grown to 81 member companies that implement mass production and scale technologies with the support of the environment.

IRON is going global

At IRON DEMO 2025, the cluster officially announced the launch of the international direction of its work.

IRON Global is an international defense tech network that brings together foreign companies, experts, investors, and partners ready to create and test new solutions together with Ukrainian teams.

The first five foreign companies have already joined IRON Global and started cooperation with the Ukrainian sector.

“These are not just purchases of equipment – these are alliances built on trust, combat validation, and flexibility of Ukrainian developers. We invite those who are ready to create solutions for the frontline right now to join us,” Volodymyr Cherniuk, IRON cluster manager, noted.

IRON DEMO 2025 has confirmed that Ukrainian defense tech is not only about technology, but also about the ability to respond quickly, interact, and scale.