28 February 2025
Despite the rapid development of Ukraine’s IT sector, the high level of expertise among specialists, and the growing demand for digital innovations, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face challenges in accessing advanced technologies. The main obstacles include a lack of funding, weak innovation infrastructure, and limited access to European markets.
As part of the "Digital Transformation of SMEs in the Eastern Partnership Countries" (DT4SME) project, funded by the German government, leading digital hubs in Kyiv and Lviv received support in 2023. In 2024, efforts were focused on strengthening the "Virtual Center for Digital Innovations NOSC-UA DIH", which operates at the Kyiv Academic University.
Today, NOSC-UA DIH is part of the European Digital Innovation Hub "Kyiv HITech" and is supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. In 2024, the hub provided services to 18 enterprises across various regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa.
A modern office was set up to accommodate 10 employees and clients
13 types of services were offered, with 10 actively used by SMEs
Over 40 consultations on digital innovations were provided
A series of workshops and seminars attracted 200 participants
"Architectural Workshop EKODAR" received cloud resources for testing architectural solutions and expert recommendations on using advanced technologies for designing energy-efficient buildings.
"Hydrogen Ukraine LLC" collaborated with NOSC-UA DIH to develop a data space architecture for monitoring the generation of "green" hydrogen, utilizing blockchain technology.
"Mitek Plus" submitted five grant applications (Seeds of Bravery, EIT Manufacturing, AI REDGIO, etc.) to advance smart grid technologies. Three grants have already been secured, totaling €80,000.
"Thanks to NOSC-UA DIH services, we discovered new opportunities for scaling our business. For example, we are now considering certifying ‘green’ hydrogen using blockchain technology to make the certification process more transparent," – Yaroslav Kryll, Director of "Hydrogen Ukraine LLC."
"NOSC-UA DIH’s support enabled us to develop a strategy for implementing digital technologies, particularly cloud computing and digital twins. Some solutions have already been implemented thanks to the grants we secured," – Vitalii Storozhuk, Director of "Mitek Plus."
The "Digital Transformation of Small and Medium Enterprises in the Eastern Partnership Countries" (DT4SME) initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
NOSC-UA DIH – Empowering Innovation to Transform Business in Ukraine!
