KSE Graduate Business School is launching Smart Force Academy 2.0 (SFA 2.0), a new stage of its educational programme for executives and teams of Ukrainian manufacturers of weapons and defence technologies.
SFA 2.0 builds on Smart Force Academy 1.0, a project implemented by KSE Graduate Business School jointly with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. SFA 1.0 brought together 385 representatives of 199 Ukrainian defence companies.
The new programme will focus on strengthening companies’ management capabilities, building effective business processes, scaling up production, and preparing Ukrainian manufacturers to operate in international markets.
“Ukraine’s defence industry has already demonstrated its ability to rapidly develop effective technological solutions for the frontline. The next task is to turn this speed into sustainable production, management and export capabilities. This is exactly what Smart Force Academy 2.0 is about: strong teams, mature business processes, production scaling, and the readiness of Ukrainian companies to compete in the global market. It is important for the state to support such environments, as the strength of Ukraine’s defence industry depends not only on technology, but also on companies’ ability to grow systematically,” stated Anna Gvozdiar, Adviser to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine.
What Smart Force Academy 2.0 Offers
SFA 2.0 is an ecosystem of formats designed to address various management and business needs of defence companies:
- SFA Kolo (group) – a closed community for leaders of defence companies;
- SFA Vyshkil (intensive) – an intensive, practice-oriented MBA programme for owners and CEOs;
- SFA Maisternia (workshop) – short applied programmes focused on developing specific business functions;
- SFA Svitova Nauka (global learning) – modules featuring representatives of leading international manufacturers;
- SFA Sekrety Otamana (otaman’s secrets) – tailor-made programmes addressing the strategic challenges of individual companies.
The programme will engage representatives of business, the public sector, and the Defence Forces of Ukraine who have hands-on experience in developing Ukraine’s defence industry.
The programme is designed for CEOs, top managers, executives and teams of Ukrainian defence technology manufacturers.
The closed SFA Kolo community will become the central element of the ecosystem. Its members will have access to up-to-date information on industry developments, opportunities to exchange experience, and interaction with representatives of the public sector, investors and industry experts.
“Ukraine’s defence industry has already proven that it can create solutions quickly. The next challenge is learning how to scale them systematically. Rapid growth is not the same as scaling. Scaling requires knowledge, systems and people who know how to use them. As an educational institution, KSE helps Ukrainian defence companies navigate this path and transform engineering achievements into sustainable institutional capacity,” said Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics.
Results of Smart Force Academy 1.0
SFA 1.0 was a joint project of the Kyiv School of Economics and the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine. According to the results of the first programme:
- 92% of participants described their participation in SFA as a valuable investment of time;
- 40% concluded at least one contract within the community;
- 58% of companies advanced to a higher level of organisational maturity.
Smart Force Academy 2.0 will launch in autumn 2026. SFA Kolo will begin operating in September, while SFA Vyshkil and SFA Maisternia will start in October, along with enrolment for SFA Sekrety Otamana. SFA Svitova Nauka will launch in November.
More information about the programme (in Ukrainian): https://gbs.kse.ua/sfa-2026