Smart Industries

In May 2023, the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance together with the Polish Platform of Future Manufacturing and the Polish Cluster Association initiated the creation of the committee ‘Poland – Ukraine: building common agenda of collaboration in Smart Industries’. This initiative is based on previous exchanges, many of them dated by 2019. The committee faces the common challenge of better monitoring and coordination of multiple ongoing projects and initiatives in Smart or Tech segments between two countries, as well as planning new ones. Therefore, the parties established regular exchanges, accounting for current initiatives and focusing on the next short-term tasks:

1. Intensify exchanges between 2 countries with clear targeting, coordination, and consolidation of main groups of stakeholders, including State bodies.
2. Establish clear priorities/growth and synergy points in collaboration on 2024-27 regarding the Resilience and Recovery projects in Ukraine, and specific challenges of Polish partners.
3. To build and present the 1st roadmap of collaboration in Smart Industries by the end of 2023.

Considering the coverage of different segments by Cluster associations from both countries, the Parties extend the scope of roadmaps in the field of Smart and Sustainable Cities, Infrastructure, and Energy as well.
Information hereafter is prepared for the 1st study tour of Ukrainian policy-makers of Smart. Industry in Poland in September 2023 and it will be regularly updated. It serves as guidelines in all exchanges and discussions during visits and meetings in September 2023 in Rzeszów, Kraków and Krinitsa.

Expectations to collaborate on the Ukrainian side

The Ukrainian part is looking for next opportunities in collaboration:

1. . Collaboration in Resilience & Recovery projects in Ukraine: building partnerships, and preparing projects / feasibility studies with a focus on twin (digital and green) transition in key sectors of Manufacturing, Agri-food, Energy, Construction, Infrastructure, and Logistics.
2. Policymaking: regular exchanges and benchmarking of best practices: supportive tools /mechanisms for developing Smart.Industries / Ecosystem development / Clusters development / Technologies penetration / Programs of reskilling/upskilling. Building twinning projects around selected topics.
3. Starting strategic cluster collaboration by Industry and Segment, including common collaboration in EU projects Industry 4.0-5.0
4. Outsourcing/subcontracting of UA companies, integrators, and developers from a segment of Advanced Manufacturing (see more detail here).
5. Partnering in Calls of Europe programs such as HORIZON Europe, Digital Europe, SMP, Life, EU4Health, Interreg NEXT and developing new programs, specifics for Eastern European integrated value chains.

Proposals for collaboration with Polish partners

To intensify collaboration and to reach a win-win approach, the Ukrainian part proposes the next options in collaboration

1. To build a clear roadmap of collaborations through fostering the Committee ‘Poland – Ukraine: Collaboration in Smart Industries’ with the participation of key stakeholders from both sides (State bodies, Clusters, Business-associations and Academia).
2. To build partnerships and start preparing projects of Recovery regarding priorities already established by the Ukrainian Government (12 key segments), see key projects of UCA here.
3. Ukrainian Cluster Alliance can be considered as an access channel and key partner, that proposes the next supporting mechanisms and its resources:
   – Organization and support of business mission Ukraine – Poland / access to key clusters and enterprises in Ukraine.
   – Organization of specific Cluster-2-Cluster and B2B meetings with regard to target projects and programs
   – Integration into #Professionals4Ukraine ‘ambassadors program’ which emphasizes and promotes Polish professionals and activities focused on Ukrainian Resilience and Recovery.

Key events with the participation of Ukrainian clusters in the next period

12-14 of September	Study tour of Ukrainian policy-makers of Smart.Industries supported by FPPP
5-6 of October	Visit to Komposyt-Expo (supported by Polish ‘Composite materials’ cluster from Kraków)
Nov-23 (dates TBC)	Participation in ‘Clusters meet regions’ in Kraków (supported by the cluster ‘Sustainable Infrastructure’)
17-18 of March 2024	Participation in the international conference ‘Quantum Technologies’ in Warsaw (supported by the Polish Photonics platform)

Information about key stakeholders of Smart Industries in Ukraine:
https://www.clusters.org.ua/en https://appau.org.ua/en https://land4developers.com/
Email address: info@clusters.org.ua