Portuguese drone manufacturer Tekever has announced plans to expand its infrastructure and local workforce in Ukraine, signaling a deeper, long-term commitment to the country. The company aims to establish a sustained presence focusing on operational hubs, technical support, and close integration with the Ukrainian defense ecosystem.
Tekever, which reached a valuation of over $1 billion last year, opened its Ukrainian office in April 2025. Since then, two types of the company’s drone models have logged over 50,000 flight hours in Ukraine.
Kateryna Bezsudna, director of the Ukrainian office, told Defender Media that the company has set three primary goals for 2026: hiring a core engineering team, building technical and logistical infrastructure, and developing partnerships with Ukrainian manufacturers to localize technological solutions.
Tekever’s strategy currently focuses on the integration of communication systems and testing technologies alongside local partners rather than launching a full-scale production line.
The company has opened seven vacancies for its core Ukrainian team, seeking specialists for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) integration, testing, maintenance, and training. Tekever’s systems utilize a proprietary AI platform that combines Edge AI, satellite communications, and cloud computing. This technology is important in environments where Russian electronic warfare frequently disrupts standard GPS and communication signals.
The push for localized high-tech solutions mirrors a broader trend in the Ukrainian defense-tech sector. The Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, which manufactures NASAMS air defense systems and missiles for them, and the Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, which was to build a plant in the Kyiv region, have opened representative offices in Ukraine. Also, the German defense giant Rheinmetall is finalizing plans to build an ammunition factory in a “safe region” of Ukraine, for which land has already been allocated.