14 March 2026
On March 4, the Innovation Center of Kyiv Academic University presented the results of the grant project Startup School Academ.City — an innovation ecosystem for the development of academic startups within institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
The meeting, held at the Ukrainian-Danish Youth House, brought together young and leading scientists, startup founders, entrepreneurs, and representatives of public institutions. Among the participants were representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Startup Fund, the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations, the Kyiv City State Administration, and the Kyiv Regional Military Administration. Many researchers also joined the event online.
Speeches, questions, and discussions confirmed that academic startups and the commercialization of research results are extremely relevant topics for the scientific community. Researchers are increasingly interested in ensuring that knowledge does not remain “on the shelf,” but becomes a real driver of development.
The event was organized with the information support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovations, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Noosphere Engineering School, the Ukrainian-Danish Youth House, and Academ.Media.
Many speakers emphasized that cooperation between science and business is gradually evolving from an ambitious idea into a concrete plan with the first visible results.
Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Academician Oleh Rafalskyi, noted in his welcome speech that the Academ.City science park initiative is a strong example for research institutions with a distinguished history but an as-yet uncertain future.
“Young people are gathering around Academ.City and Kyiv Academic University, and this is extremely important,” he said. “KAU prepares future outstanding scientists in highly complex fields. We hope that in the near future KAU graduates will hold key positions in European and global science.”
He also emphasized that today is the right moment to give a new impulse to cooperation between government authorities, research institutions, city and regional administrations, and business.
According to Oleksandra Antoniuk, Deputy Director of Kyiv Academic University and head of the Academ.City project, the first tangible results were made possible thanks to the support of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the IP Office, financial support from national and city authorities, and the coordinated work of the project team.
“We started with a dream — to build an ecosystem where every scientist could realize their potential and contribute to the development of the country,” she said. “Today the project is growing. We are learning, making mistakes, correcting them, and moving forward.”
Deputy Minister of Education and Science Denys Kurbatov spoke about the Science.City initiative and other reforms in Ukraine’s research and innovation system. He noted that funding for science in 2026 has increased by 41%, including more than UAH 3 billion in additional funding based on the results of the national research evaluation.
For the first time, 50,000 researchers and academic staff will receive salary bonuses following this evaluation.
Among the Ministry’s initiatives are:
the creation of six Centers of Excellence,
the launch of project-based doctoral programs,
the development of the Science City ecosystem,
new state funding competitions for scientific and technological developments.
He also reassured researchers that fundamental science programs remain fully supported and will continue to expand.
Guest speakers discussed how research results can be transformed into practical innovations.
Serhii Veretiuk, head of Noosphere Engineering School, emphasized the crucial role of engineering in translating scientific discoveries into real products.
“Scientists do not necessarily need to become businesspeople,” he noted. “Their role is to expand knowledge. Engineers help turn that knowledge into technology.”
Dmytro Kuzmenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Venture and Private Capital Association, encouraged academic entrepreneurs to “Dream big!” and shared practical advice on building startups capable of competing at the European level.
The results of the Startup School Academ.City were presented by Nataliia Harashchenko, Head of the Innovation Management Department at Kyiv Academic University.
The project started in autumn 2024 and focuses on supporting scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in creating startups and commercializing research results.
The numbers demonstrate the project’s success:
over 1,440 participants in programs and events (compared to 140 originally planned),
127 innovation teams received mentoring and consulting support,
startups attracted nearly UAH 16 million in funding, far exceeding the planned UAH 500,000.
However, according to Harashchenko, the most important outcome is not the numbers.
Scientists who participated in the programs reported a shift in mindset — they now view collaboration with business and participation in innovation programs as natural and necessary.
“The growing confidence of researchers that commercialization is possible is more important than any KPI,” she said.
The Academ.City ecosystem includes several major initiatives:
BOOSTER Innovation Incubation Program – two cohorts in 2025 with 133 participants and 30 teams developing market strategies and financial models for their projects.
BE FIRST Open Hackathon (organized with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy) – over 40 teams, with several winners already attracting investors.
Mentoring Program for Academic Startups – supporting students and PhD candidates working in biotechnology, materials science, quantum materials, and IT.
JoinNOW – Ideas and Talent Exchange – connecting students and researchers to develop marketing and business strategies for innovation projects.
The Virtual Digital Innovation Center of KAU joined the European network of digital innovation hubs as part of the EDIH Kyiv HiTech consortium and became the first FIWARE iHub in Eastern Europe.
The center has already provided services to 18 SMEs, organized international hackathons, and launched a prototyping laboratory together with the Institute of Metal Physics of the NAS of Ukraine.
In 2026, the Startup School will expand its activities. According to Oleksii Fraier, Head of the Academic Startup Support Department, support for startups will go beyond education and include:
consulting and mentoring,
legal and organizational support,
marketing and communication,
grant-application assistance.
New incubation, acceleration, and industrial hackathon programs will continue, while a new Open Innovation Program will connect scientists with companies seeking applied technological solutions.
The long-term goal is to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem where science, business, government, and civil society work together — and where scientific discoveries can successfully move from the laboratory to the market.
Photos are available on the Academ.Media portal.
Prepared by Svitlana Halata.
The event was implemented within the framework of the experimental project of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine aimed at creating a network of startup schools — incubators — accelerators at universities and research institutions.
