Despite the rapid development of the IT sector in Ukraine, the high level of skill of its professionals, and the strong demand for digital innovation services, a significant number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ukraine lack access to advanced digital technologies and services due to a lack of funding, weak innovation infrastructure, and limited access to European markets.
Last year, with funding from the German government, the Digital Transformation of SMEs in the Eastern Partnership (DT4SME) project supported leading Ukrainian digital hubs from Lviv and Kyiv to strengthen their capacity to provide services to businesses, and is currently supporting them in joining the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network. In particular, in 2024, support was provided to strengthen the institutional capacity of the NOSC-UA DIH Virtual Center for Digital Innovation based at the Kyiv Academic University. The NOSC-UA DIH, now part of the European digital innovation hub Kyiv HITech, with the support of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, has provided services to 18 SMEs not only from Kyiv region but also from Vinnytsia, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa regions.
Thanks to the grant support, the office was equipped for the comfortable work of 10 employees and clients, which allowed for a high operational level of service provision for enterprises and startups. A wide range of 13 services was offered, 10 of which were provided upon request by SMEs and were highly appreciated. More than forty consultations were provided in various areas of digital innovation. In addition to consultations, SMEs received specialized services for the implementation of their projects both in Ukraine and in Europe. Workshops and seminars were organized on various topics to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs. Approximately 200 participants took part in the events.
The digital innovation hub’s technological services are combined with support for business development, digital marketing, and fundraising.
Thus, with the support of the NOSC-UA DIH team, the ECODAR Architectural Workshop received cloud resources for testing architectural solutions and practical recommendations for using modern data exchange technologies in the design of sustainable buildings with a healthy indoor climate.
As part of the project, Hydrogen Ukraine LLC developed an architecture for the green hydrogen generation data space, which will enable the exchange of data on the origin and volume of hydrogen generation with data recording via the blockchain.
“Thanks to the services we received, we have seen how digital technologies will allow us to develop our business, for example, we are currently considering the possibility of certifying green hydrogen using blockchain technologies to make the certification process transparent.” – Yaroslav Kryl, Director of Hydrogen Ukraine LLC.
Maitek Plus submitted 5 grant applications (Seeds of Bravery, EIT Manufacturing, AI REDGIO, etc.) to test new smartgrid technologies at the enterprise and develop business. Comprehensive services were provided, including application writing, consulting, and involvement in various networking events, lectures, and acceleration programs. The company has already won 3 grants totaling about 80 thousand euros.
According to Vitaliy Storozhuk, Director of the company, NOSC-UA DIH services have provided a significant impetus to business development and the introduction of digital technologies in the enterprise, as due to the lack of in-house IT and project specialists, such comprehensive support for the hub has allowed the company to formulate a strategy for using advanced digital technologies, in particular cloud endpoint computing, and to start designing a digital twin. Some of the technologies have already been implemented with the help of grants.
The project “Digital Transformation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Eastern Partnership Countries” (DT4SME) is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.