This year’s conference served as an important platform for strengthening international partnerships and coordinating efforts to rebuild and restore Ukraine. In addition to decisions regarding international support, the Center for Innovation Development team held numerous meetings with representatives of communities, international organizations, donors, and partners.
Throughout the conference, we established new partnerships and agreed to develop joint project initiatives.
Key areas of cooperation include:
- inter-municipal partnerships between communities in Ukraine, EU countries, and other nations;
- European integration and community capacity building;
- economic development and investment attraction;
- digital transformation and the implementation of smart city solutions.
URC2026 once again confirmed several important trends.
First, these are community resilience and innovative solutions. Ukrainian communities are presenting not only reconstruction projects but also comprehensive approaches to long-term development. It is particularly valuable to continue collaborating with communities with which the Center has been working for many years. In particular, together with the Kramatorsk community, we discussed a new ecosystem-based initiative aimed not only at rebuilding infrastructure but also at supporting people and developing the community.
Second, it is a people-centered approach to recovery. Modern reconstruction is increasingly focused not only on rebuilding buildings or infrastructure, but first and foremost on people’s needs. It is precisely the involvement of residents in decision-making and the development of communities as holistic ecosystems that form the basis of the principle of «building back better».
Third, data is the foundation of effective decisions. High-quality, up-to-date, and verified data remains a key prerequisite for successful recovery. Digital platforms, investment planning, and management decisions must be based on this data. The Center for Innovation Development continues to support communities in implementing data-driven management: from data collection and analysis to its practical application for development and recovery planning.
The reconstruction of Ukraine is, overall, a long-term process that requires strong partnerships, trust, and collaboration. URC2026 creates opportunities for such partnerships, and the Center for Innovation Development team continues to work to ensure that new agreements are turned into concrete projects for the development of Ukrainian communities.
Stay tuned for our activities! More to come.
