GOOD PRACTICES (Ukraine 1)
Partner references:
Partner organization: Ukrainian Distance Learning (UDL) System
Country of implementation: Ukraine
Good practice references:
Title of the good practice: Innovation spring of Ukraine,
Implementing organization:
Ukrainian Distance Learning (UDL) System (Ukraine),
«Learn and do for Ukraine»- the network of business angels (Sweden)
Gigahertz Ventures GmbH (Germany)
Responsible:
Ihor Katernyak, PhD, author of the textbook “Innovative spring in technology startups: momentum to take off”, CEO, Ukrainian Distance Learning (UDL) System, Ukraine
Eugene Krentsel, Founder and President, innoVEK, LLC; Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Alliances, XLerateHealth; Co-Founder, UPLIFT Accelerator, USA
Thomas Karlsson, CEO of Sörmlandsfonden AB, Venture Capital Fund with Business Angel Network active in the County of Södermanland, Sweden.
Mary Shepard Spaeth, PhD, MSC, MA, Professor of International Business and Entrepreneurship, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI, USA
Colin Rigby, Smart Innovation Hub, Keele Business School and
Emma Bonfiglio, PhD Student in Management, Keele University, United Kingdom
Stefan Schandera, CEO and founding partner, Gigahertz Ventures GmbH, a boutique investment company, focusing on hardware/deeptech, Dresden, Germany.
Link:
https://electronics.lnu.edu.ua/en/news/we-invite-startups-and-talented-p...
https://osvita.loda.gov.ua/?page=blog&id=928
https://www.uwstout.edu/about-us/news-center/professor-speaks-ukrainian-...
Period of implementation: March-May 2022, March- May 2023
Good practice description:
The “Innovation Spring of Ukraine” initiative is aimed at social progress, renewed and accelerated development of educational, research, entrepreneurial potential of Ukraine, which is hampered by russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine. Implementation of this initiative involves educational (conducting trainings, workshops, master classes to prepare young people capable of creative ideas, innovations and leadership in various spheres of life in Ukraine), research (finding solutions for specific social, economic, environmental, infrastructural and technological needs) and economic components (designing startup projects and technology transfer) and commercialization components (helping startups bringing new services or products to market).
Innovation and entrepreneurship. Empathy and design thinking.
Ideation, Team Creativity and Imagination.
Lean Startup and business modeling.
Customer Discovery.
Prototype and Product Validation.
Raising finance.
Going Global With Your Startup.
Entrepreneuring Momentum, Societal Change, Sustainable Development.
More than 100 participants from all over Ukraine and from abroad have registered in the Innovation spring every year, among the participants were both internally displaced persons and refugees to other countries. It should be noted that individual online teachers who were hiding abroad from missile attacks at that time helped conduct the courses.
Innovation Spring ended in May with the International Forum « Startup: momentum to take off» - a presentation of startup projects to potential investors from «Learn and do for Ukraine»- the network of business angels (Sweden). Representatives of the Berlin Business Angels Club, headed by Stefan Schandera, Chairman of the Board of the Gigahertz Ventures GmbH investment company (Germany), attended the forum in 2023 with a special visit.
Professional area of reference
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, with devastating consequences for Ukraine and its people. More than twenty months of intense fighting, heavy artillery shelling and airstrikes have resulted in high numbers of civilian casualties and immense human suffering. Russia’s war of aggression has caused extensive damage to infrastructure and services across Ukraine and the wholesale destruction of cities and towns in some parts of the country. The resulting humanitarian crisis has displaced millions of Ukrainians from their homes and left many in desperate need of food, shelter and medical assistance. To this day, Russian aerial strikes continue to attack targets throughout the country. It will take years, if not decades, to heal the trauma of this senseless war.
The European Union, together with its Member States, has demonstrated unprecedented unity in condemning Russia’s actions and in providing support to Ukraine. The Commission proposes to create a new instrument, the Ukraine Facility (the ‘Facility’), that can cater both for short-term recovery needs and medium-term reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine. Ukraine Investment Framework designed to attract private and public investments in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. It will complement all existing financial instruments for Ukraine (blending and guarantees), with the possibility of scaling them up, when conditions allow for it. The Facility will support Ukraine’s efforts to recover from the impacts of the war, rebuild and modernise the country whilst implementing key reforms on its EU accession path, with the aim to support Ukraine’s transition towards a green, digital, and inclusive economy that is progressively aligned with Union rules and standards.
Investment in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction cannot wait until the end of the war. Active combat has remained largely contained to the south and east of the country, where the greatest extent of damages has also been sustained. However, the broader economic and social impact of the war is extensive, affecting all of Ukraine. Supporting the recovery of the Ukrainian economy requires concerted efforts to help ensure that economic activity is sustained, and basic infrastructure is repaired and maintained. This in turn will ensure that conditions are in place for the economy to recover, generating revenues for the State budget, and thereby progressively lowering the volume of the international assistance needed. Sustaining economic activity and rebuilding basic infrastructure would generate employment and revenues, give refugees a perspective to return home, raise revenues for the state budget, attract private sector investment and, ultimately, lower the volume of international assistance needed.
Supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction now also means maintaining or creating employment opportunities for Ukrainians, including the internally displaced and creating conditions for refugees to return to Ukraine. Companies that intend to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine are interested in the em ployment of Ukrainians who are now in their countries as refugees. Here we present the story of two girls who escaped from the war in Ukraine and now occupy not only leading roles in EU scientific institutions and business, but also have plans to help their organizations participate in the reconstruction programs of Ukraine, to spread their business to Ukraine.
Main factors of success
The SINTONIA project aims to promote entrepreneurship among refugees and internally displaced persons and can take part in «Innovation spring of Ukraine» international initiative . Ukrainians who left Ukraine as refugees to other countries had the opportunity to take part on-line in all conducting trainings, workshops, master classes toward the International Forum « Startup: momentum to take off», work in a team to develop a start-up project, gain relevant competencies and start communicating with potential partners and investors.
Mentors / investors from Ukraine as well as other countries such as Sweden, Germany, USA had the opportunity to participate in this “Innovation Spring of Ukraine” initiative on-line and some even visited Lviv to meet with the teams directly.
Talented individuals from different places and countries could find their team for startup, offering their knowledge, skills and know-how.
Partner corporations, which plan to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine, can play a vital role in achieving this goal by providing a favorable environment for intrapreneurs. This would include giving new employees opportunities to develop new products, lead a team, assimilate into the company culture, and become advocates for its business expansion in Ukraine.
The EU has opened the possibility for Ukraine to submit such «Innovation spring of Ukraine» joint projects with EU Member States for the development of border-crossing points under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
Positive impact of the practice on Ukrainian community and potential impact on the creation of bonds between the host country and Ukraine
The development of the entrepreneurial movement among Ukrainians in Ukraine and abroad should become the basis for revival, reconstruction of the country, the development of new products and the creation of new jobs, the creation of professional teams for the landing of investments, the successful navigation of foreign companies that have plans to expand in Ukraine, the creation of bonds between the host country for refugees and Ukraine.
Input on project
Organization of an online program “Innovation spring of Ukraine”, which should include a e-courses , open space for startups teams, talents and ivestors, the International Forum «Startup: momentum to take off», a mentoring program for teams that want to start their new project.
Refugees from different countries can be involved in the program, as well as trainers and mentors, entrepreneurs and investors. This will contribute to establishing business ties, attracting investments, and economic growth.
Partners of this program should be organization that actively involve refugees to internships and projects, provide them intrapreneurial role within corporations based on their skills and knowledge and they can provide business navigation in Ukraine.
