The state of Ukrainian science in the midst of war

In response to the full-scale Russian invasion that began in 2022, Ukrainian government has declared the urgent need for a radical enhancement of support for research, development, and the implementation of new technologies, especially in the defense sector. Notably, a large-scale initiative known as "Army of Drones" has been launched to support the development and production of drones, among other projects.

At the same time, experts believe that as of the end of 2024, only about 46% of the scientific and technical potential of Ukrainian science remains involved in the interests of the defense-industrial complex of Ukraine, and only a tenth of scientists involved in such research concluded that the state has already formed a scientific and technological policy adequate to the current situation.

This is stated in the report “Ukrainian Science and Technology Foresight: Strategic Directions and Prospects for the Development of Science and Technology” (edited by Oleksandr Popovych), conducted by the Dobrov Institute for Scientific and Technological Potential and Science History Studies of the NAS of Ukraine, which was implemented with the support of the Representative Office of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Ukraine and with the participation of the “Foresight. Institute of Political Economy” NGO.

The study was conducted by surveying experts using the Delphi method, and expert assessments and proposals from leading scientists were received regarding changes in scientific research priorities that have occurred over the past three years in connection with the challenges of full-scale war and global trends in the development of science and technology. A total of 543 experts participated in the survey, which was conducted in July-December 2024 in three rounds using the Delphi method.

The report includes nine thematic blocks, for each of which the experts assessed the relevance and availability of the potential and resources necessary to continue the research. In addition to the sections corresponding to the thematic blocks, the report includes a separate section devoted to the assessment of science and technology policy as a whole, including issues of improving the organizational model of such policy and restoration of human resources potential, which has suffered significant losses.

The research affirms that the Ukrainian state possesses the capability to support the development of science and technology. Scientists positively assess the measures taken in the fields of energy, medicine, and information technology, but still insufficiently in the field of defense. Nonetheless, the overall science and technology policy of the state remains chaotic. Ukrainian scientists increasingly feel that the majority of initiatives and proposals put forth by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to enhance science management fail to address current challenges and may even hinder recovery efforts.

Despite the difficult economic situation in the country, it is necessary to increase spending on research and innovative development in order to avoid relying on imports of ready-made technological solutions. Instead, Ukraine should prioritize the development and consistent implementation of state-targeted programs that support R&D at all stages—ranging from fundamental and applied research to prototyping, testing, and scaling production.