23 April 2024 // 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Rebuilding Ukraine: new opportunities through digital transformation
After over 10 years of war and 2 years of Russian full-scale invasion, Ukraine is facing more than ever before the challenge of reconstruction. The use of digital technologies offers great opportunities in this regard: to make public and private sectors more efficient and productive through automated and semi-automated processes. Modern and networked production facilities provide data in real time, which increases productivity and reduces downtime. Overall, production is becoming more efficient, flexible and resilient.
European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) play a crucial role in the EU when it comes to green and digital transformation. They provide opportunities for testing of new technologies, acquiring digital skills, access to finance and finding new partnership opportunities. With support of the European Commission and the German Development Cooperation agency GIZ EDIHs will start their operations in Ukraine in late 2024. They will join a network of more than 150 EDIHs – out of which 17 are based in Germany – covering a variety of sectors and technologies relevant for Ukrainian, but also European businesses and public entities. Covering the entirety of Ukraine, the EDIHs will provide support and services aimed at the digital and green transformation of local public and private sector entities, thereby becoming an important pillar of Ukraine’s’ reconstruction.
One of the EDIHs will potentially be established in Kharkiv. Its task will be to drive forward the digital and green transformation of important economic sectors in the eastern part of Ukraine and thereby support the operation and modernization of the local economy. The EDIH candidate plans to address in particular Ukrainian SMEs in the agricultural, energy and manufacturing sectors.
The Fraunhofer IFF was commissioned by the GIZ project “Digital Transformation of SMEs in Eastern Partnership Countries (DT4SME)” to provide structural support for the digital transformation in the Kharkiv area.
Agenda – Tuesday, 23 April 2024
10:30 a.m.
Introduction
Kay Matzner, Project Director “Enabling Kharkiv EDIH”, Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF
10:40 a.m.
Words of Welcome
Valeriya Ionan, Deputy Minister for Eurointegration at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine
10:50 a.m.
Words of Welcome
Ihor Terekhov, Mayor of Kharkiv
11:00 a.m.
Opening Keynote
Olga Novytska, Consul, Consulate General of Ukraine in Hamburg
11:20 a.m.
Digital Transformation of SMEs in Eastern Partnerships Countries
Felix Kullmann, Technical Advisor, Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
11:30 a.m.
EDIH network and its support to digitalisation and resilience
Malgorzata Nikowska, Head of Unit – Digital Transformation of Industries, European Commission – DG CONNECT
11:40 a.m.
European Digital Innovation Hub Kharkiv – Overview and appraisal
Dr. Lina Smovziuk, International R&D projects manager, National Aerospace University “KhAI“
12:00 noon
Automation: Modern production and an opportunity to successfully address the shortage of skilled workers
Gregor Spieker, Channel Development Manager, Teradyne Robotics (Germany) GmbH
12:20 p.m.
Opportunities of the Kharkiv production site
Kyrylo Chikiriakin, First Deputy Director, Office of Reforms, Kharkiv City Council
12:40 p.m.
Digital Technologies and their importance for the reconstruction of Ukraine
Zero Engineering Robotics in Production
Franz Valdiek, Robot Systems, Research Associate, Service and Industrial Robots
Drone swarm-based autonomous landmine detection
Hon.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Richter, Production Metrology and Digital, Assistance Systems, Group Leader Digital Logistics Technologies
01:20 p.m.
Reform proposals to improve Ukraine as an investment location
Garry Poluschkin, Project Manager Ukraine, German Economic Team
01:40 p.m.
Panel discussion: Capacitating and Internationalization of SMEs Sector in Ukraine
Kay Matzner,
Moderation
Olga Shapoval, Executive Director of Kharkiv IT Cluster, Coordinator of Kharkiv EDIH consortium
Kyrylo Chikiriakin, First Deputy Director, Office of Reforms, Kharkiv City Council
Fabian Marckstadt, Monitor Deloitte, European Lead Partner Future of Ukraine
Ralf Lowack, Head of Component, international cooperation programme “ReACT4UA“, GIZ GmbH
02:30 p.m.
Overview and closing remarks
Kay Matzner, Project Director “Enabling Kharkiv DIH”, Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF
Networking & exchange over a light snack
Partner
Organizer