⚡️ This Friday, September 13, our program director Kateryna Dehtyar and project manager Alina Zhukovska joined as mentors the project “Rebuild Ukraine: Combining Science and Business in the Agricultural and Energy Sectors,” which brought together scientists and business leaders to prepare for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
The two-day program included a series of workshops, panel discussions, and presentations where participants could present their innovative projects and receive valuable advice from experts. In particular, Kateryna Dehtyar shared her experience on the topic “Costly part: Lean Canvas and Value Creation”, discussing in detail the key aspects of effective promotion of scientific developments.
💡 Kateryna and Alina took part in group mentoring, where they worked with teams of scientists to improve their projects using the Lean Canvas template. Each mentor led two or three projects, helping participants improve their materials and prepare them for presentations. The teams sat in pairs at tables, which facilitated the exchange of ideas and mutual learning.
🎙 The first day of the event began with a workshop and panel discussion on innovations and challenges in the agricultural and energy sectors. Participants had the opportunity to see their scientific developments from two perspectives: business and scientific. The teams, under the guidance of mentors, developed their materials, improving them in the context of market promotion. Other topics discussed included:
- Scientific projects through the eyes of business and through the eyes of science. Discussion of the difference in approaches and perception of scientific developments from the point of view of business and science, helping participants to better understand business expectations from scientific innovations.
- USP business model + customer definition. Formation of a unique selling proposition (USP), identification of the target customer and market analysis. The tips were useful in developing a strategy for promoting scientific developments.
- The importance of IP for the effective promotion of scientific development on the market. Building an IP strategy. Explanation of the importance of intellectual property for the successful promotion of innovations on the market and building an IP strategy for the protection and commercialization of scientific developments.
🚀 The next part of the program was devoted to the promotion of scientific research. Participants learned how to present their projects to investors and partners, as well as how to find their place in the international market. Some of the aspects discussed:
- Product market fit: Ukrainian perspectives on international markets. Sharing experience in adapting products for international markets, telling about the specifics and challenges faced by Ukrainian innovations in the global arena.
- International partnerships – search for monetization options and exits from projects. Different approaches to finding international partners, monetization options, and exit strategies, emphasizing the importance of global thinking for Ukrainian startups.
- Costly part: Lean Canvas and value creation. Presentation of the Lean Canvas methodology for determining the cost part of the project and emphasis on value creation, which is key to attracting investors.
At the end of the first day, test pitches were held, where each of the 13 teams presented their project in 3 minutes. After the presentation, the mentors provided comments and recommendations to help improve the pitches and prepare for the final presentations.
🗣 The second day began with intensive work on finalizing the pitches. Teams received individual advice from mentors, improved their presentations, focusing on the clarity and efficiency of information presentation.
The business speed-date format with mentors was one of the most interesting parts of the event. Each team had the opportunity to receive short but meaningful consultations from leading experts, which helped to formulate effective strategies for the development of their projects.
🦾 The second day’s program concluded with two discussion panels, where participants could hear success stories from entrepreneurs who have already implemented their projects in the agricultural and energy sectors, and from investors who shared their vision of innovation development in Ukraine.
The final chord of the event was the company pitches, where each team presented its project to the jury and audience. These presentations demonstrated the high level of training and innovative potential of Ukrainian scientists and entrepreneurs.
🧬 Innovative projects were presented at the event, including:
- Application of geographic information systems to analyze the efficiency of agricultural land use
- Recovery, accelerated reproduction and long-term storage by cryo-biotechnology
- GreenCoopResilience: organizational and economic mechanism for the development of green cooperatives
- Legislative support for the creation and operation of industrial parks on agricultural land
- Application of digestate for nutrition correction of phytoenergy crops
- Hardware and software complex for studying plant resistance
- Innovative energy-saving technologies in irrigated farming systems
- Improving the parameters of power equipment. Use of the turbine “ARSIRIUS”
- Obtaining an alternative energy source from various aquatic plants
- Integrated energy system for energy generation with simultaneous hydrogen production
- Development of scientific and technical measures and means to ensure the reliability of energy-hydrogen systems
- Combined production of alternative gas fuels from man-made and natural deposits
The event concluded with a networking session that created opportunities for future cooperation and the development of innovative projects. Participants had the opportunity to network with scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors, laying the groundwork for working together to restore and strengthen Ukraine’s economy.
We thank the organizers of the Ukrainian Fulbright Circle, IP Office and iHUB for holding this event and uniting the scientific and business communities for a common goal – the development and reconstruction of Ukraine! 🙌🇺🇦



