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New business: pushing the envelope

In mid-May, around 60 Ukrainian programme alumni from the construction industry came together in Lviv to pinpoint innovative business opportunities. What stood out was the format: the entrepreneurs were urged to think outside the bounds of conventional categories.

The organisers of this “neoconference” purposefully avoided the classic speaker-to-audience format and instead created a space for interactive cooperation, allowing their guests to move from being passive participants to active co-creators of forward-looking projects. This concept aligned well with the goal of the event, which was not just to present current trends, but rather to work together to develop new ideas and to promote the emergence of new partnerships between German and Ukrainian companies.

In this “living lab” for the future, participants were invited to leave behind conventional modes of thinking and to make space for brave ideas, proactive networking and partnership-oriented dialogue. This new format set the stage for innovative technologies to be viewed in a new light, trends to be explored and new forms of partnership to develop in ways that push the bounds of conventional approaches in the sector – from adaptable cities to smart glass and circular business models.

Trends, tech and partnerships define the new reality of the construction industry

R&D in construction is especially important to Ukraine. The industry is the backbone of the country’s infrastructure, provides housing for millions of people, creates innovative jobs and is a strong driver for the economy.

All participants at the event came from this sector, and many reported successful business ventures with German companies. Oleksandr Novytskyi, CEO and owner of EvoCon Engineering Bureau in Sumy, was on the lookout for German partners for construction planning. He hit the jackpot with RGM BAU GmbH – the German company is now planning projects for EvoCon in Ukraine using German construction techniques, and the first blueprints have already been drafted.

Egis Ukraina LLC, a company active in underground construction, streets and bridges, water supply and collection systems, urban transport, ports, railways, energy efficiency and environmental management, struck a partnership with GOPA Infra Consulting Group for joint bid submissions. Oleksandr Baran, Director of the Egis energy project, was able to conduct successful negotiations during his stay in Germany with the Partnering in Business with Germany programme.

© GIZ/Olena Lutsenko

Utopia or just change?

Kateryna Prokhorova from the Rebuild Ukraine team in the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Andriy Nelin of the IWO Housing Initiative for Eastern Europe demonstrated a number of tools for developing cooperation between German and Ukrainian companies, as well as the opportunities for collaboration in bringing innovative construction technologies into Ukraine. In doing so, they heightened the participants’ awareness of the benefits of a bilateral partnership.

The Ukrainian entrepreneurs were given an honest look at successful projects as well as those which didn’t quite achieve the expected results. This approach made way for an understanding of the real challenges and opportunities to be found in bilateral cooperation, thus serving as a catalyst for further discussion about new partnership models and effective business solutions between German and Ukrainian companies – a cornerstone for envisioning real opportunities for equal partnerships where all parties contribute their own unique competencies and resources. It was with this vision in mind that the participants brainstormed scenarios for the future of the construction industry in Ukraine in ways that took the most influential transition factors into account.

“Two days of incredible networking, inspiring presentations, futuristic ideas and creative breakthroughs! Together we came up with visions for the future, extended the horizons of our partnerships and sought to answer the question of how we can best push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said representative of the CCI Volyn, Iuliia Olimpiuk, summarising her experience of the NeoConference.

The success of the conference confirmed the readiness of stakeholders in the Ukrainian business world for deepened, innovative cooperation with German partners that surpasses traditional methods and forms the basis for strategic, long-term partnership.

Teaserfoto: © GIZ/Andreas Dobslaff

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