Speakers
Description
The Russo-Ukrainian War stands out as the first war within decades that drove states to mobilize their industrial and innovative potential. Overwhelmingly, wars since 1945 have either been short or have been fought at lower levels of intensity. As such, they were won or lost based on the equipment already in stock or that could be procured through peacetime procedures. Since 2022, Russia and Ukraine have expanded their defence industries and exploited scientific and engineering expertise that lies outside of traditional defence industries. Our research comparatively charts how both sides have undertaken this process.
To preview our conclusions, Russia’s and Ukraine’s initial steps differed radically from one another. Russia adopted a centralized approach, increasing the workforce and shifts at state-owned defence firms. Russia’s government efficaciously organized the mass evasion of sanctions, purchases of machine tools and recruitment of foreign workers. Ukraine, meanwhile, devolved procurement authority to a wider array of actors. In addition to the MoD, the Ministry for Digital Transformation, Military Intelligence (HUR), Foreign Intelligence (SBU) and a series of patriotic NGOs. This highly competitive environment fuelled an expansion in start-ups and innovation.
These distinct defence-industrial ecosystems generated comparative advantages. The Ukrainian system broadly proved more innovative, while Russia’s facilitated the rapid scaling of production.
| If you are submitting an Open Panel proposal, have you included all four abstracts in attachment? | No, I am submitting a Closed Panel abstract |
|---|---|
| Would you like to be considered for travel funding through the NetSec COST Action? | No |
| Are you a member of the NetSec Management Committee? | No |
| What discipline or branch of humanities or social sciences do you identify yourself with? | Political Science |
| Which of the following best describes your stage of the career? | Full Professor |
| In which country is your home institution? | United Kingdom |
| What is your gender? | Female |