{"id":252272,"date":"2026-05-04T14:37:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T12:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rapport-annuel.expertisefrance.fr\/projets\/ukraine-developing-practical-founder-facing-instruments\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T12:17:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T10:17:26","slug":"nataliia-denikeeva-eu4innovation-east-2026","status":"publish","type":"projet","link":"https:\/\/rapport-annuel.expertisefrance.fr\/en\/projects\/nataliia-denikeeva-eu4innovation-east-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine: \u201cDeveloping purposeful policy and practical, founder-facing instruments\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Interview<\/p>\n\n

Ukraine: \u201cDeveloping purposeful policy and practical, founder-facing instruments\u201d<\/em><\/h1>\n\n

A partner of Ukraine since 2006, Expertise France has stepped up its support since 2023 in response to Russia\u2019s large-scale invasion. In 2025, the agency implemented 18 national and regional projects in the country. Among them, the EU4Innovation East project, funded by France and the European Union, promotes innovation, fosters competitiveness, and guides the transition within the startup ecosystem. <\/p>\n

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With NATALIIA DENIKEEVA,<\/strong><\/mark><\/strong> Deputy Minister for Digital Economy Development at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine<\/p>\n\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n

What are the main priorities of the Ministry of Digital Transformation?<\/h2>\n\n

We are clear on our mission and align everything to it: helping Ukraine defend its freedom and rebuild its economy through next-generation institutions and innovation. Our North Star is a Ukraine that ranks among the top 30 countries by GDP per capita, with digitalization, technology, and innovation powering long-term growth. <\/p>\n\n

One of our core priorities is to build a comprehensive legal and institutional framework that lifts national competitiveness and scales the technology sector. We are shaping an environment where predictable, modern rules work hand-in-hand with purposeful policy and practical, founder-facing instruments. It\u2019s an adaptive mix that creates market certainty, rewards innovation, and evolves as new needs arise. <\/p>\n\n

We already have proof points. Diia.City, a virtual free economic zone for tech companies, has operated for nearly four years and now brings together around 3,000 Ukrainian and international companies and startups. Its residents grow faster, attract capital, and make a visible contribution to the economy. Another important component we are developing is Diia.\u0421ity Invest, which is a legal infrastructure to lay the foundation for Ukraine\u2019s venture ecosystem. <\/p>\n\n

Drawing on international experience, we are preparing a White Paper for Ukraine\u2019s startup ecosystem to identify and remove blockers that hold back founders and to introduce game changers that can significantly boost growth. We are also drafting a Startup Act, a comprehensive policy framework for the startup lifecycle to set clear, long-term rules of the game. <\/p>\n\n

We aim for two outcomes: first, a powerful pipeline of homegrown startups, including a strong defense-tech sector that directly supports our security and industrial capacity; second, Ukraine positioned as a top-tier European jurisdiction and a global magnet for founders and investors in the future. <\/p>\n\n

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As part of the EU4Innovation East project, a delegation of Ukrainian entrepreneurs attended the Vivatech 2025 trade show in Paris, accompanied by partners from the country\u2019s startup ecosystem.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

What are the challenges?<\/h2>\n\n

The overarching challenge is Russia\u2019s full-scale war. Everything we do is calibrated to help the country endure and win, and to keep building the foundations for rapid recovery afterward. <\/p>\n\n

The war creates a set of major challenges for the innovation economy that we have to work through today: loss and displacement of people, a continuing brain drain as talent leaves for safety, and higher risk perceptions among international investors.<\/p>\n\n

Many funds encourage Ukrainian startups to move to other countries. We are countering this by keeping a credible way to build companies in Ukraine: Diia.City already lets investors back Ukrainian startups at home under clear, internationally familiar rules and protections, so founders don\u2019t have to choose between raising capital and staying here. <\/p>\n\n

Another issue is the data and monitoring gap: today we lack real-time, reliable metrics on startup numbers, funding flows, and ecosystem health.<\/p>\n\n

Despite the pressure, wartime needs also spark solutions, especially in defense tech and dual-use innovation. We treat each of these not as fixed problems but as areas for development: we focus on practical fixes, build new capabilities, and turn short-term resilience into lasting market growth. <\/p>\n

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Despite the pressure, wartime needs also spark solutions, especially in defense tech and dual-use innovation<\/p>\n\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n

How do EU4Innovation East and Expertise France support these priorities and address these challenges?<\/h2>\n\n

EU4Innovation East and Expertise France are core partners helping us move faster with targeted, high-impact support. <\/p>\n\n

Expertise France facilitates the systematization of international and French models and best practices through targeted technical assistance to the ministry, helping Ukraine adapt proven frameworks to its local context. In this context, EU4Innovation East contributes to the development of an EU-aligned innovation ecosystem in Ukraine by facilitating the harmonization of its regulatory framework with European Startup Nations Alliance (ESNA) standards. <\/p>\n\n

At the same time, it contributes to the development of financial instruments, co-investment schemes, and regulatory improvements aimed at attracting new venture capital and unlocking private investment. This includes technical support for Diia.City Invest and the launch of a grant program targeting early-stage startups. <\/p>\n\n

EU4Innovation East also supports the development of robust databases and digital dashboards to monitor startup growth per capita, guide policy refinement, and foster transparency across the innovation ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n

Finally, EU4Innovation East provides targeted technical support for strategic development and coordination within the Ukraine\u2019s Global Innovation Strategy WINWIN 2030, contributing to the fostering of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine\u2019s expert capacity across key sectors including GreenTech, Space Tech, AI, MedTech, and BioTech. <\/p>\n\n

Interview conducted in October 2025<\/em><\/p>\n

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