On 20 December 2023, a new Horizon Europe Office and a new European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Community Hub opened up in Kyiv, while an European Innovation Council action supporting the Ukrainian deep tech community has launched.
The EIC action, within the framework of EIC4Ukraine, is set to provide Ukrainian startups with up to 60.000 EUR each, with a total budget of 20 million EUR, in order to enable them to develop deep tech R&I. The EIT Hub, hosted by the Ukrainian Startup Fund aims to promote opportunities to innovators in based in Ukraine to connect with the wider EIC Community. The Kyiv Horizon office is expected to help the integration of Ukrainian science into European R&I projects and into the European Research Area by facilitating contact points between EU and Ukrainian researchers, offering policy advice and providing targeted support. According to Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Iliana Ivanova, the opening of the office serves as a “testament to the enduring contribution of the Ukrainian people to research and innovation”. The office is hosted by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.
These new initiatives are built on the existing set of measures towards scientists in the country suffering the consequences of the ongoing Russian aggression, which began in February 2022. EuChemS condemned this aggression in a 2022 statement.
Strengthening ties between EU and Ukraine, in science policy as well as in other areas also mirrors the beginning of the country’s ascension negotiations, which were opened on 14 December 2024.
