Recently, UNIT.City hosted the annual EIT Community Day Ukraine, a strategic gathering for entrepreneurs, researchers, and startups operating at the intersection of Ukrainian and European innovation. This year’s event brought together over 170 participants to discuss the evolution of the local tech landscape and its integration into global frameworks.
EIT Community Hub Ukraine: The Results in Figures
The scale of the EIT’s work in Ukraine reflects a deep institutional commitment. Ihor Markevych, EIT Community Officer in Ukraine, provided specific performance metrics for the Hub:
Financial Support: Between 2021 and 2024, the EIT supported the Ukrainian innovation ecosystem with nearly €5 million. In 2025, an additional €2 million was deployed.
Engagement: Since late 2023, the Hub has conducted 50 events and over 140 individual sessions, reaching a total of 4.5 million participants in Ukraine.
Ihor Taranov, Head of the Horizon Europe Office in Ukraine (NRFU), highlighted the broader European context:
“This is already the 9th framework program of the European Union, with a budget of €95.5 billion. We are very optimistic about the 10th framework program, where the budget is expected to range between €175 and €200 billion”.
Tech as a Driver of Economic Resilience
A central pillar of the event was the presentation of the study “The Ukrainian Technology Sector as a Basis for Economic Resilience and a Driver of Recovery”, Andriy Dligach, Founder and CEO of Advanter Group, shared critical data for 2025:
Gross Value Added (GVA): Approximately 12.5 billion UAH.
Workforce: 420,000 specialists.
Fiscal Impact: 58.6 billion UAH in taxes paid, representing a 33.2% increase in tax payments.
The data confirms that the tech sector is not merely an industry vertical but a systemic factor in the country’s resilience and a key driver of post-war recovery.
The Knowledge Triangle: A Holistic Support System
The EIT operates through 10 thematic Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). According to Ihor Markevych, the system is built on the “knowledge triangle”:
“We generally operate within a framework called the ‘knowledge triangle’: universities, research centers, and business. This is the key pillar upon which EIT stands”.
In 2026, the ecosystem officially adds EIT Water as its tenth direction, expanding a portfolio that already covers digitalization, clean energy, health, food, urban mobility, raw materials, manufacturing, climate innovation, and creative industries.
Success Stories from the Ecosystem
Regional Impact: Alina Kyselova (COO, Vacuum Deep Tech Acceleration) shared the results of UrbanElevate in Zhytomyr. With €140,000 in EIT support, the project surpassed all KPIs, engaging 102 participants and 16 startups. “This resource allowed us to launch a comprehensive innovation ecosystem rather than choosing between individual activities”, Kyselova noted.
Scaling via Education: Vlad Severenchuk (KAI) presented the Foresight Studio course, which received a €150,000 grant from EIT Culture & Creativity. The project focuses on helping the creative industries pitch and improve their business models.
Refining Narrative: Anna Chorna, Co-founder of Mindship, explained how EIT Jumpstarter helped the team secure €10,000 and refocus their product communication on the global economic cost of stress—exceeding $1 trillion annually.
2026 Roadmap: Strategic Expansion and Open Calls
The EIT Community Hub Ukraine has outlined a high-velocity agenda for the remainder of 2026. Key milestones include a Tech Delegation to Japan in April, the 2U Tech Forum and Startup World Cup in May, and specialized side events within the frameworks of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) and IT Arena. The year will culminate with the next EIT Community Day Ukraine in the autumn.
For founders, researchers, and organizations ready to scale, the following programs are currently accepting applications.
Professional Development and Education
Supernovas VC Academy An elite educational track for women junior VC investors looking to accelerate their careers within the European venture capital ecosystem. Deadline: April 12, 2026
InnoEnergy Masters+ A premier Master’s program merging technical education at top European universities with a focus on clean tech, entrepreneurship, and sustainable energy. Deadlines: Round 4 – April 19, 2026; Round 5 – June 1, 2026
InnoNext Call Fully funded innovation internships across Europe for students, researchers, and EIT alumni, connecting top-tier talent with high-growth startups and EIC-backed companies. Deadline: July 31, 2026
Startup Acceleration and Funding
Empowering Women in Agrifood (EWA) Advance Programme Tailored for female founders with existing market traction in the agrifood sector, providing mentorship and investment readiness to facilitate commercial scaling. Deadline: April 26, 2026
EIT Health — Innovation Validation Call Provides up to €850,000 per project for digital health, AI, and medtech solutions ready for clinical validation and market entry. Deadline: May 6, 2026
EIT Jumpstarter 2026 A flagship pre-acceleration program for very early-stage science-based teams. Offers 55+ hours of training, a €240,000 prize pool, and a dedicated track for Ukrainian innovators. Deadline: May 8, 2026
ClimateLaunchpad 2026 The world’s leading green business ideas competition, providing mentorship and a global stage for startups tackling climate challenges. Deadline: May 15, 2026
Financial Support to Startups (Urban Mobility) Direct funding and growth support for early-stage mobility startups developing solutions for urban infrastructure and transport. Deadline: November 16, 2026
Ecosystem and Collaborative Calls
New Models to Deliver Healthcare Funding for collaborative projects focused on implementing and scaling market-ready healthcare delivery models. Deadline: May 6, 2026
Ignite NEB Open Call for Hosts Part of the New European Bauhaus initiative, this call is for organizations ready to host innovation programs that transform ideas into community-based startups and social projects. Deadline: May 7, 2026
NEB Mentors — Open Call A recruitment drive for independent experts in design, business strategy, and sustainability to support New European Bauhaus projects. Deadline: May 11, 2026
Scaleup Promotion Initiative Designed for hubs, accelerators, and networks that support the scaling of urban mobility startups, providing access to major events and corporate partners. Deadline: May 27, 2026
Strategic Innovation Open Call A competition for large-scale innovation projects in urban mobility, targeting teams creating solutions for cities and public authorities. Deadline: June 18, 2026
Urban Mobility Explained (UMX) Open Call A program focused on closing the knowledge gap in the mobility sector through high-quality professional training and capacity-building services. Deadline: September 29, 2026
As the Ukrainian tech sector continues to serve as a bedrock of economic stability, these opportunities offer the necessary structural support to transition from local resilience to global market leadership.
