12 February 2025
For a long time, science and business in our country developed separately, as if existing in different realities. Business sought quick solutions with predictable profits, while science focused on in-depth research with results that were not always foreseeable.
Today, the situation is changing—collaboration between scientific teams and the business environment is becoming a reality. This process is actively supported by the Innovation Center of Kyiv Academic University (KAU), which facilitates effective communication between researchers and entrepreneurs.
Recently, the project presentation of "Startup School Academ.City – an innovative ecosystem for the development of academic startups of scientific institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" took place. The project is implemented in partnership with the National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy."
Academ.City Startup School was one of six winners in a competitive selection process under the experimental project of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, aimed at establishing startup schools-incubators-accelerators within higher education institutions and research institutions. The selected projects will be carried out from 2024 to 2026, with the winners receiving up to 1.5 million UAH for the creation and development of their startup schools.
Of course, none of the winners is starting "from scratch." Kyiv Academic University has already been working with scientific startups within its Academ.City science park and has achieved notable results. For several years, the science park has been teaching researchers how to collaborate with investors, how to present their developments, and how to commercialize innovations. It also introduces scientists to industry representatives who come with specific problems in need of solutions.
During the presentation, Iryna Krasovska, head of the expert group on the development of high-tech innovations at the Directorate of Innovations and Science-Industry Relations of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, shared that over twenty applications were submitted for the competition.
"This is great news, as it means that universities and research institutions understand the importance of commercializing scientific developments and are ready to support startup teams."
"I am pleased that the government can contribute to the development of the Academ.City science park," added Iryna Krasovska.
For a long time, business and science in Ukraine existed in parallel worlds. Business sought quick and predictable results, while science worked thoroughly and systematically, recognizing even negative results as part of the research process.
Today, the situation is changing! The Innovation Center of Kyiv Academic University is actively building a bridge between scientific teams and businesses.
The presentation of the project "Startup School Academ.City – an innovative ecosystem for the development of academic startups of scientific institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine" recently took place. The initiative, implemented by KAU in partnership with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, became one of the six winners in the competitive selection of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. From 2024 to 2026, the winning projects will receive up to 1.5 million UAH to create and develop startup schools.
The founders of the startup school at KAU have ambitious goals: to create conditions for the development of innovative ideas, support academic startups, and bring them to market. Under the guidance of experienced mentors, senior scientists, young researchers, and students will be able to:
"Our country is now defending its independence. And we must win not only the war but also the peace afterward. After the war, there will be a difficult period when we must continue to push forward even faster. We need to build an economy that can stand on equal footing with other countries," said Oleksandra Antonyuk, Deputy Director of KAU and project leader of the Academ.City science park.
Bringing innovations to market will contribute to the development of a strong economy.
"However, scientists should not be expected to become entrepreneurs," added Oleksandra Antonyuk. "Our task is to help researchers collaborate with business. The ecosystem we are creating is designed for this very purpose—to allow everyone to find their place and understand how to apply their expertise."
The mission of KAU's startup school is to create favorable conditions for the development of innovations, support academic startups, and bring them to market.
Under the guidance of experienced mentors, scientists and students will be able to:
"Ukraine is now fighting for its independence. But we must win not only the war but also our future. We need a strong economy that allows us to compete internationally," emphasized Oleksandra Antonyuk, Deputy Director of KAU and project leader of the Academ.City science park.
Scientists do not have to become entrepreneurs, but they need the skills to collaborate with business. That is why Academ.City is being created—a place where everyone can find their role and learn how to commercialize innovations.
According to Nataliia Harashchenko, head of the Department of Innovation Management at KAU, the startup school is not a traditional school. Instead, it consists of various group and individual activities, creating a physical and virtual educational facilitation platform.
Academ.City differs from other startup schools because it focuses on academic startups and facilitates innovation implementation within research institutions of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
"Even in the most active scientific teams, there is often a lack of expertise in commercialization. That’s why teams need people with managerial and economic experience, who can see a development as a future business. We know such people, and we will help connect them with scientists and work together," explained Nataliia Harashchenko.
One example is the Idea and Talent Exchange (JoinNOW), which connects scientists with business professionals to create marketable products.
The Academ.City Startup School was established in collaboration with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, which has extensive experience in organizing the BE FIRST Open Hackathon. The hackathon has already led to the creation of successful startups.
Additionally, the BOOSTER Incubation Program provides training and acceleration support for academic startups, helping scientists structure their innovations into business-oriented presentations and pitches.
Another key activity of the startup school is the BOOSTER Incubation Program for Innovative Projects. The program will include a series of training sessions focused on incubation and acceleration support for academic startups.
"These training sessions will help transform innovative ideas into viable business models," explained Olena Tsyplitska, head of the Open Innovation Laboratory.
The program has been running for several years and helps scientists from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and higher education institutions turn their innovative ideas into business-friendly presentations and effectively pitch them at demo days, hackathons, and other events.
As part of the startup school, the Support Program for Student and Academic Scientific-Innovation Projects will also be launched. Students and graduate students will have the opportunity to attend a series of lectures and participate in practical workshops on innovation management and economics.
According to Kateryna Vovk, director of the Academ.City charitable foundation, the program will focus on the following scientific fields:
The innovation management of these projects will be overseen by mentors, who are specialists in commercializing scientific developments and integrating them into business.
One of the program participants, Mykola Korablyov, a student at Kyiv Academic University, presented his startup during the program’s launch. He has developed a mobile application based on new mathematical models that allows users to optimize their travel routes.
The startup school will also host a seminar and workshop on implementing FIWARE digital solutions.
According to Volodymyr Nochvai, head of the Virtual Center for Digital Innovations, the seminar will include both theoretical and practical sessions on using digital technologies.
"This is essential for projects that rely on data. For example, a farmer may need access to data on spare parts, seeds, or fertilizers to optimize their operations," explained Volodymyr Nochvai.
Want to join the startup school? Have questions? Contact us at:
t.narizhna@kau.edu.ua (Tetiana Naryzhna)
n.harashchenko@kau.edu.ua (Nataliia Harashchenko)
i.kubareva@kau.edu.ua (Iryna Kubarieva)
Science and innovation are the future of Ukraine. Join the Academ.City Startup School today!
*The event is being implemented within the framework of a pilot project of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to create a network of startup schools - incubators - accelerators on the basis of higher education and research institutions
