Highlights and photos | Ukraine’s wartime innovation: Lessons for Sweden's and Europe’s security

Summary

On November 6, 2025, the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) and the Center for Security and Resilience (CfSR) at the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) hosted a special event "Innovation Under Fire: How Ukraine’s Citizens, Academics, and Industry have Accelerated Civil and Military Innovation" on how wartime Ukraine mobilized creativity and technology across civilian and military spheres. The speakers examined how commercial tools, research capacity, and entrepreneurial drive were rapidly integrated into defense efforts - offering lessons for Sweden and Europe on building resilient innovation ecosystems.

Ukraine’s experience demonstrates how civil–military innovation ecosystems can emerge under extreme pressure, linking commercial technology, data and logistics, and field-driven problem-solving. It also highlights practical approaches for strengthening Europe’s security, competitiveness, and preparedness.

Photo of Torbjörn Becker, Director of SITE, as he inaugurates the event, extending a heartfelt greeting to all attendees. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Torbjörn Becker introducing the audience to the FREE Network, a joint initiative by SITE (Stockholm), BEROC (Vilnius), BICEPS (Riga), CenEA (Szczecin), ISET-PI (Tbilisi), and KSE Institute (Kyiv). Together, these research institutes form an extensive network of leading academic experts on economic issues in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Martin Carlsson-Wall, Director of Center for Security and Resilence (CfSR) at SSE. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Martin Carlsson-Wall. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Martin Carlsson-Wall. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Dmytro Gusiev, Counsellor, Embassy of Ukraine in Sweden. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Dmytro Gusiev. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of Kyiv School of Economics (KSE). Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Tymofiy Mylovanov, as he shares stories about the brave Ukrainian soldiers he knew (shown on the big screen) as he recalls their dreams and hopes before the war. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo: Dominick Nilsson

From left: Tymofiy Mylovanov and Oleksii Krymeniuk, Staff officer of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine, Khartiia, as he shares his story and experience from the war. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

From left: Tymofiy Mylovanov and Oleksii Krymeniuk. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

From left: Tymofiy Mylovanov and Oleksii Krymeniuk. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Oleksandr Zhylyayev, Staff sergeant of the 13th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, Khartiia, introducing the film "The Khartiia Method”. A short film illustrating the Khartiia approach to leadership and responsibility in wartime, highlighting stories of innovation, courage, and cross-sector collaboration. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Oleksandr Zhylyayev. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Oleksandr Zhylyayev. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

A photo of the short film screening "The Khartiia Method". Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Tymofiy Mylovanov and Oleksandr Zhylyayev as they watch the film together with the rest of audience in the Aula at SSE. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of the audience as they watch the film screening of "The Khartiia Method". Photo: Dominick Nilsson

A photo of one of the audience showcasing a sad expression during the film screening of "The Khartiia Method". Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Panel discussion "Building Resilience for the Future" moderated by Torbjörn Becker with (from left) Oleksii Krymeniuk, Tymofiy Mylovanov, Oleksandr Zhylyayev, Andreas Flodström, Founder of Beetroot, and Petronella Kjellberg Andersen, Swedish Defence University. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Andreas Flodström. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Andreas Flodström. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Oleksandr Zhylyayev as he shares his insights on the ongoing war and the Ukrainian resilence. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Torbjörn Becker as he listens to the panel discussion. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Photo of Oleksii Krymeniuk as he shares a few comments and insights. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Andreas Flodström and Petronella Kjellberg Andersen. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Tymofiy Mylovanov. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Tymofiy Mylovanov. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

From left: Oleksii Krymeniuk, Tymofiy Mylovanov, and Oleksandr Zhylyayev. Photo: Dominick. Nilsson

In focus: Petronella Kjellberg Andersen. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

In focus: Petronella Kjellberg Andersen. Photo: Dominick Nilsson

Group photo of all participants right after the event concluded. From left: Dmytro Gusiev, Torbjörn Becker, Oleksii Krymeniuk, Tymofiy Mylovanov, Oleksandr Zhylyayev, Andreas Flodström, and Petronella Kjellberg Andersen. Photo: Dominick Nilsson