Program Announced for Ukrainian Side Event at XPONENTIAL 2025

DroneUA is organizing the official side event of the Ukrainian delegation within XPONENTIAL 2025 — the leading international exhibition for autonomous technologies. The event will focus on the prospects of strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States in the field of autonomous systems, scalable UAV production, and their integration into global supply chains.

“Powered by Fleet of Millions: Ukrainian Breakthroughs in Drone Mass Production” is held under the banner of the Fleet of Millions initiative — a unique launchpad for innovators in unmanned technologies. It provides access to one of the world’s largest ecosystems for robotics development, encompassing drones, robotic platforms, and more.

The event is organized by DroneUA in partnership with PPL Trade, with the support of the Consulate General of Ukraine in Houston and the U.S. Commercial Service in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The event brings together representatives of leading high-tech companies and government institutions from Ukraine and the United States who play a key role in shaping policies and advancing the development of autonomous systems.

Event Details:

• Date: May 21, 2025

• Time: Start: 5:00 PM | Program: 5:30–6:30 PM | Networking: 6:30–7:30 PM

• Location: 3040 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, TX
  

The central theme of the event will be the transformation of unmanned systems, developed under challenging geopolitical conditions, into commercial and security-sector solutions capable of meeting the needs of the U.S. market. Key discussion points will include production localization, technological collaboration, and the development of sustainable models of international cooperation.

The event program includes:

• Welcome remarks by Vitalii Tarasiuk, Consul General of Ukraine in Houston;

• Panel discussion: “Cost-Efficient Innovation: How Ukraine is Redefining Drone Manufacturing at Scale”, moderated by Valerii Iakovenko, co-founder and managing partner of DroneUA and Futurology;

Panelists:

Lamar Ellis — President, AUVSI Georgia Chapter and Drone Education Services

Valerii Zarubin — CEO, BlueBird Tech, Ukraine

Volodymyr Voronin — Vice President, Ancovi International LLC

Leshia Pearson (TBC) — Director of Aerospace & Defense at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ACES)

• Networking with representatives of leading companies and institutions in the drone industry from both the United States and Ukraine.
  

“Over the past few years, Ukraine has proven its ability not only to develop innovative unmanned solutions, but also to scale them under challenging conditions in record time. Today, we are entering a new phase — integrating Ukrainian technologies into international production and logistics processes, with a focus on long-term strategic partnership with the United States,” commented Valerii Iakovenko, co-founder and managing partner of DroneUA and Futurology.

DroneUA systematically advances transnational technological initiatives, particularly through the formation of manufacturing alliances and the practical integration of Ukrainian solutions into international markets. The Fleet of Millions initiative is one of the key instruments in building a scalable ecosystem of autonomous solutions.