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When the war broke out, Volodymyr Cherniuk (19) was rejected by the Ukrainian Armed Forces because of his age. Three years later, he is now heading Iron Cluster, a tech hub of over 70 companies developing autonomous defense systems. Today, he is also partnering with Fritt Ukraina.
In February 2022, Volodymyr Cherniuk and his friends wanted to enlist to defend Ukraine. But at just 19 years old, he was too young to be accepted. Instead, he threw himself into volunteer work, humanitarian efforts, and eventually, technology development.
Today, only three years later, he leads Iron Cluster, an innovation cluster based in Lviv. The cluster brings together startups, development teams, and industrial partners working on defense technology. The goal is clear, Cherniuk says:
“To strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities through unmanned, autonomous, and high-tech solutions—while building a strong civilian defense industry for the future.”
From volunteer efforts to technological leadership
Cherniuk has a background in the scout movement, political science, and IT. Before the war, he developed language-learning apps for children. Today, he is working to build an ecosystem for defense innovation at the intersection of accelerator, incubator, and industry cluster.
Iron Cluster was established in 2023 and has already formed partnerships with Ukrainian authorities, universities, and international collaborators, including the Danish companies Blink Troll and Dropla, a drone system provider. The cluster also has ties to the Norwegian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and cooperates with Norwegian authorities.
Focus on unmanned and autonomous systems
The cluster works in a decentralized way and spans the entire value chain—from startups and component manufacturers to strategic partnerships with the defense sector. The main areas are unmanned systems, counter-systems, and critical components. Autonomy is the first priority.
“Ukraine is a laboratory for modern defense technology,” says Cherniuk.
“We test and deploy systems at a pace rarely seen elsewhere. It comes with high risk, but also rapid innovation.”
A shortage of magnets—open for collaboration
Iron Cluster is now looking for more international suppliers and partners. One key area is critical components like magnets. The cluster is currently searching for suppliers in Taiwan and Australia.
They also collaborate with other tech clusters both in Lviv and across Ukraine, from IT and medicine to clusters focusing on heavy vehicles, armored systems, and unmanned platforms.
Scouts fund drones and armored vehicles
In parallel with his work in Iron Cluster, Cherniuk has also established the organization Alarm. The initiative is based on his roots in the scouting movement.
With funds raised, Alarm has donated an armored vehicle purchased in Poland.
“The armored vehicle was a very welcome delivery to a military unit where several of our friends serve,” says Cherniuk.
Alarm has also financed a mine-laying robot, several FPV drones, and a MARA-2 surveillance drone.
An important partnership for the future
“We are proud to partner with Volodymyr Cherniuk and Alarm,” says Natalia Golis.
“Meeting young and courageous Ukrainians like Volodymyr gives me hope. These are young people rolling up their sleeves, looking for ways to contribute to the fight for freedom.”
“Through this partnership, Fritt Ukraina is strengthening the ties between Norwegian supporters and some of Ukraine’s most innovative technology communities—with a shared goal of contributing to European security,” Golis adds.
Together, Alarm and Fritt Ukraina will now contribute to the purchase of two additional MARA-2 surveillance drones for Ukrainian forces.
“It is also incredibly valuable for us as an organization to follow the cluster’s activities and development, as it provides us with important insights into the innovation work happening on the ground in Ukraine,” says Natalia Golis.