Description
We are happy to invite you to the first “Focus Group Ukraine on EU-Ukraine business cooperation” meeting following the Clusters meet Regions in Kosice and meetings of the “Enterprise Europe Network Task Force Ukraine”. The objective is to facilitate business cooperation and develop new value chains between Ukrainian and EU SMEs. Many other European business organisations, clusters and alliances have shown interest in being better informed on doing business in and with Ukraine, especially since the European Council granted the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union.
We would like EU clusters to be part of this new informal group.
The Focus Group will act as the central information hub and provide its members with updated information on EU policies and programmes that facilitate business cooperation and investments in Ukraine as well as on the latest development in the business environment in Ukraine. You will get a better understanding of who does for Ukraine among the various stakeholders, have the opportunity to report to the European Commission on problems EU SMEs are facing in Ukraine and vice versa, exchange best practices and find partners interested in developing projects in common like B2B activities.
Business cooperation and integration in the Single Market are essential for Ukrainian SMEs that have shown a very high level of resilience and are, for most of them, still operating despite a very challenging environment. They are crucial for Ukraine’s economic recovery to rebuild back better but can also open many new opportunities for European businesses.
Agenda of the first meeting:
- Opening remarks and welcome by Jakub Boratynski, Director GROW.D
- Short presentations from Tom Diderich and/or Bohdan Ides, GROW.A3; Janis Aizsalnieks, NEAR.E2, Iryna Hubarets from EUDEL Kyiv
- Presentation of the different stakeholders (complete list still to be confirmed):
- Enterprise Europe Network (EEN): Crispin Waymouth, Deputy Head of unit GROW.D2 and Olga Shubina, Coordinator EEN Ukraine
- Clusters: Antonio Novo, Head of the European Cluster Alliance and Alexandre Yurchak from the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance
- Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs(EYE): Marijana Juras, GROW.D2 and a representative from an EYE Intermediary Organisation based in Ukraine
- Industrial Forum: Szilvia SZEKELY, GROW.D2
- Closing remarks by Mariella Masselink, European Commission, DG GROW.D2