On 5 February 2025, the conference “Export Strategy and Regional Economic Development: Institutional Capacity for Implementation” was held in Kyiv. The event brought together representatives of state bodies, business, international organisations and the expert community to determine strategic steps for Ukraine's foreign trade development during the war and the upcoming recovery.
Opening of the conference
Representatives of international institutions delivered welcome speeches. They emphasised the importance of international support for Ukraine's integration into the global economy and stressed the need to develop an effective export policy.
Hagen Ettner, Programme Director of ReACT4UA/EU4Business, GIZ, said:
“This event is extremely significant for us - it is a new stage in our cooperation with Ukrainian partners. The German side has been supporting the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union since 2016, and we already have considerable experience in this area. Over the past years, we have worked intensively on several levels to ensure that Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses benefit from this cooperation. We have supported the development of the national strategy, facilitated the EU accession process, and provided practical support to small businesses through technical assistance programmes and grants. This conference is an important milestone in our joint work, and we are pleased with the results achieved and the prospects for further development of the National Export Strategy.”
Maria Gutsman, UNDP Team Leader of the Inclusive Development, Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, emphasised:
“Inclusive economic development remains our key priority. The creation of a realistic export strategy should be based on the involvement of all stakeholders and consider regional peculiarities. We are glad to contribute to this process and are ready to support Ukrainian business at all levels.”
Panel discussion 1: Ukraine's export strategy in times of war
The first panel was moderated by Ihor Burakovsky, Head of the Board of the Institute of Economic Research and Policy Consulting. The participants discussed current challenges for exporters and ways to overcome them.
Main points of the discussion:
Volodymyr Vlasiuk, Director of Ukrainian Industry Expertise:
“Last year, Ukraine exported goods and services worth over $51 billion, of which just over $10.5 billion were exports of services. This is a 17% increase compared to the previous year. Our enemy was seeking to reduce Ukraine's exports, but these figures demonstrate our resilience. This is a small but important victory for Ukraine in the fight for economic stability.”
He also stressed the need to:
- increase production of goods, which requires attracting investments in various industries;
- develop institutional support for business;
- to implement currency liberalisation.
In addition, Volodymyr pointed out the need for effective international communication:
“If our enemy has disappeared from global exhibitions, Ukraine should use this opportunity to be represented there.”
Andrii Stavytskyi noted:
“The only chance for Ukraine's economic prosperity is a radical increase in exports. The export strategy should become a catalyst for reforms, particularly in customs and tax policy. Only systemic changes will allow us to scale up exports.”
Panel discussion 2: Institutional support for economic development
The second panel was moderated by Maksym Boroda, UNDP Project Manager. The discussion focused on the role of state institutions in export development and the need to reform the regulatory environment.
Key points of the discussion:
Oleksandr Palazov, Director of the Department for Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship at the Ministry of Economy, presented the project of “Made in Ukraine” offices based at employment centres. There are currently more than 80 of them. The offices aim to support domestic producers and transform the way Ukrainian entrepreneurs do business.
Volodymyr Patis, President of the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers, spoke about the role of industry associations in implementing the new export strategy:
“Working in clusters and associations is the way to efficiency and competitiveness in international markets, but it requires training.”
Panel discussion 3: The regional dimension of export support
The final panel discussion, moderated by Ihor Savchak (UNDP), was dedicated to the regional dimension of export strategy implementation. Participants examined regional initiatives and ways to improve access to international markets for small enterprises.
Main points of the discussion:
- Valentyn Dunaievskyi: Chernivtsi region has hosted more than 100 companies under the business relocation programme.
- The Diia.Business project has launched 15 entrepreneurial support centres that promote business digitalisation.
- Valerii Kokot presented a methodology for developing regional export strategies in times of war.
Conclusions: the way to scale Ukrainian exports
The conference became a platform for a professional discussion on the future of Ukraine's exports. The participants agreed that for the effective implementation of the National Export Strategy, it is necessary to:
- strengthen international cooperation and adopting the best international practices;
- create an effective system of state support for exporters;
- expand sales markets, particularly in Africa, Latin America and Asia;
- increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian goods through innovation and digital technologies.
📌 The presentations of the participants are available at the link.
The event was organised by the NGU «Foundation for Support of Reforms in Ukraine’ within the framework of the project «Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine’ with the financial support of the Government of Japan, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the international cooperation project ReACT4UA («Application and Implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in the field of Trade’), implemented by the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.