Press Release No 2
Grant Agreement 101188315 – LUKE
The matchmaking event “The Formula for Success: Science + Business” successfully brought together over 40 Ukrainian researchers and businesspeople to foster science-business collaboration and stimulate the development of innovation-driven projects. This event also served as a preparatory activity ahead of the pre-announcement of the multilateral LUKE Joint Grant Call and the upcoming international matchmaking event.
Researchers had the opportunity to present their know-how, explore possibilities for cooperation and connect with potential partners. The event served as a practical platform for establishing science-business collaboration. Participants in the matchmaking session noted that the format of direct interaction between science, business, and technology teams created real opportunities for new partnerships.
The teams found potential partners, for example, in the fields of rehabilitation, cognitive linguistics, digital platforms for creating consortia and eco-projects. Participants also gained access to tools to discover the international programmes. The event demonstrated the rise of practical solutions: from medical innovations to smart agricultural technologies and opened the path to European funding and scaling of Ukrainian projects.
In the opening remarks Grygorii Mozolevych, Director General of the Science Development Directorate, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine emphasised the importance of business engagement in scientific innovation, noting:
“An important component of the effectiveness of public investment in the research sector is the direct interest of businesses in scientific results and further studies. Therefore, participants of the event had the opportunity to form collaborations for developing new projects.”
Iryna Yaremchuk, Vice-rector for Research and Innovation at Lviv Polytechnic National University, highlighted the significance of such format of the event:
“While the matchmaking format has not yet become widespread in Ukraine, I am very pleased that such events, dedicated to a critically important strategic topic for country like science and business collaboration, are already taking place in Ukraine.”
The organisers noted strong interest from both Ukrainian researchers and businesspeople, underscoring the growing importance of research-driven innovation for the country’s long-term economic development.
Highlighting the significance of the event for national economic resilience, Olga Polotska, Executive Director of the National Research Foundation of Ukraine stated:
“In these challenging times, it is particularly important for Ukraine to develop its economy through high technologies and the implementation of research developments in the real sector. Today’s matchmaking event was organised to give researchers the opportunity to present their innovations, find partners in research and business and assess the potential for implementing their ideas in practice. Such initiatives contribute to the formation of new projects and partnerships that support the sustainable development and economic growth of Ukraine.”
During event participants had an opportunity for the networking and interactive discussion on needs, initiatives, skills and barriers for science-business collaboration in Ukraine, laying the groundwork for future development of the guidelines addressing this topic.
The matchmaking event was organised within the Horizon Europe project “Linking Ukraine to the European Research Area – Joint Funding and Capacity Building Platform for Enhanced Research and Innovation Cooperation – LUKE” in collaboration with the Tech StartUp School, the SID City Scientific Park of Lviv Polytechnic National University and Lviv Polytechnic National University.
Participants’ impressions from taking part in the matchmaking session:
Olga Kosmina, Project Manager at UNBROKEN
During the matchmaking session, we were already interested in a project by researchers from Lviv Polytechnic about cognitive linguistics. For us, it’s quite an interesting project. It can significantly contribute to finding better rehabilitation methods for our patients, especially at the Unbroken centre. This could potentially become a very interesting cooperation.
Events like this need to be organized more often. International partners should also be involved. And it’s very cool that a similar event is planned at the international level. We would definitely like to take part in it as well. It is much easier to find partners at such events, when you can talk one-on-one, exchange your groundwork and ideas.
Igor Vuytsyk, Chairman of the Lviv Agrarian Chamber
Participation in the matchmaking session was extremely productive for us. We held a number of targeted meetings with partners from Kharkiv, Lviv Polytechnic and the Veterinary University, identifying directions for potential cooperation. Our project focuses on developing practical recommendations for controlling invasive Sosnowski’s Hogweed, an environmental problem that directly impacts the agricultural sector. The initiative is implemented in connection with a Horizon project, which strengthens its scientific and practical value.
In parallel, we work with farmers, introducing principles of smart agriculture: efficient waste use, energy production, and soil restoration. Together, these solutions create a substantial practical effect for both the ecosystem and agribusiness.
Olha Hdulia, Co-founder of the of the consulting agency “Competence Design Bureau”
During the matchmaking session, I discovered an interesting digital project presented as a platform where technology companies from four countries that are not represented in the European Union can find each other, match based on criteria, and create partnerships. It is like a ‘LinkedIn’ for the technology sector. They work within the Danube project, supported by Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. I have already been invited and will register there. I will also recommend this platform to my clients, because it offers the opportunity to find partners, create a consortium, join forces and apply for grant competitions.
The event itself is important and useful. Combining science, Start-ups, business and technological capacities is, for me, a successful combination to strengthen our economy and bring it to the European and global level, find partnerships and attract funding such as grants, investments, whatever it may be, so that we can unlock our scientific and technological potential.
More about LUKE: https://horizon-europe.org.ua/en/luke/
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
