Digital innovation hub presented in Kharkiv The international project European Digital Innovation Hub of the Eastern Region of Ukraine was presented today, 9 December, in Kharkiv.

The project is supported by the European Union, UNDP, and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and is coordinated by the Kharkiv IT Cluster.

The hub brings together research institutions, technology partners and local governments to promote digital transformation and recovery in eastern Ukraine. 

The presentation was attended by Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, representatives of the Kharkiv IT Cluster, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and the Kharkiv Reforms Office, which are co-organisers of the project. 

In his speech, the mayor of Kharkiv emphasised the importance of energy independence for the city and thanked the international partners and Kharkiv IT Cluster for their contribution to the project.

«It is extremely important and honourable for us that this hub is opening in Kharkiv. In times of war, we are doing everything possible, and sometimes what is not expected of us, to support entrepreneurs so that they stay here. We are introducing business incentives, developing energy infrastructure, and building a so-called ‘energy island’. The hub is a step forward in the development of the city as a smart city, where people are in the centre of attention. I thank all partners and the Kharkiv IT Cluster team for their work», - said Igor Terekhov. 

The European Digital Innovation Hub of the Eastern Region of Ukraine is part of a pan-European network of digital innovation hubs created to support transformational change. Ukraine joined the initiative in 2023, and one of the six projects selected on a competitive basis will operate in Kharkiv. Its goal is to develop digital innovations in eastern Ukraine.

The project will run for four years and cover a wide range of services: support for small and medium-sized businesses, start-up development, and the introduction of innovations in industry and other sectors of the economy.