Ukraine has opened its first-ever country house at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, and is running a a week-long programme entitled Ukraine: Creativity. Innovation. Opportunity.

“This is a historic moment for Ukraine. For the first time in WEF’s 47-year history, Ukraine is represented in Davos in the format of a week-long venue,” Alexa Chopivsky, executive director of Ukraine House Davos, said at the opening ceremony. “Ukraine has tremendous capability in the tech and innovation sectors and we are thrilled to showcase this talent to the global WEF audience.”

“Following our successful Ukrainian Davos Nights events in 2017, which attracted more than 400 participants, we are delighted to launch Ukraine House in 2018. It will be a platform for networking, investment deals and technology partnerships. In organising Ukraine House, the Ukrainian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (UVCA) jointly with partners will position Ukraine as a new tech and investment global partner,” said Andriy Kolodyuk, chairman of the UVCA and a WEF Young Global Leader.

“We gathered top-executives of global companies, investors and innovative entrepreneurs at our opening event in Ukraine House,” said Olga Afanasyeva, chief executive at UVCA. “Now we are ready to start with panels and discussions on hot topics related to innovations and tech.”

“Showing the best of our country at Ukraine House Davos and engaging in a dialogue with the international community is an important step forward,” said Victor Pinchuk, the founder of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and EastOne.

“The main goal is to open Ukraine for global leaders as the world’s new trusted technological partner,” said Lenna Koszarny, founding partner and CEO of Horizon Capital. “Over the next three days the eyes of the global business community will be on Davos, and we want to use this opportunity to promote Ukraine’s fast-growing IT and innovation sector,” she added.

“Ukrainian IT engineers possess unparalleled intellectual curiosity, differentiating them from their peers globally,” Michael Boustridge, CEO of Ciklum, tells Emerging Europe. “Ciklum has been harnessing Ukrainian talent for creating best tech solutions for hundreds of international companies since 2002 and today is acting as a solid digital transformation partner,” he adds.

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Emerging Europe is organising a special session about Ukraine’s IT sector during the Sourcing in Emerging Europe programme being held in London from 27-28 March, 2018.

photo: Gregory Vepryk