3 Myths Holding Back Ukrainian Businesses from Scaling — and How EEN Is Breaking Them Down
IT ClusterEurope is already waiting for Ukrainian businesses. Yet many entrepreneurs still remain unaware of the opportunities available to them right now.
We’re debunking three common myths about international expansion — and showing how to overcome them with the help of the world’s largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises: the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN).
Myth №1: Entering EU markets means drowning in paperwork
Reality: Europe is actively implementing the Once-Only principle — you only need to submit your data once to a national registry, and it will be accessible across other countries without repeated requests.
This is made possible by the Once-Only Technical System (OOTS) — a digital infrastructure that ensures secure data exchange between public authorities across EU member states. Officially launched in December 2023, countries are gradually connecting their registries. In the long term, this will significantly simplify administrative processes in education, mobility, and business.
Myth №2: The Indian market is oversaturated — there’s no demand for new offerings
Reality: India is home to 1.4 billion people. It’s the second-largest online market in the world and has a clear ambition to become the third-largest global economy. There is growing demand for medical technologies, smart industry software, circular economy platforms, and products that meet European standards.
EEN is already helping Ukrainian companies find partners, distributors, and customers in India.
Myth №3: Entering EU markets is too complicated, time-consuming, and just not for us
Reality: Europe has already built an infrastructure to foster new business connections, and it’s open and accessible to Ukrainian companies. Innovation Policies (INP), the EEN network, and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) offer opportunities for research and development, talent exchange, supply chain integration, standardized solutions, and ESG development.
Ukrainian Businesses Are Already Going Global
These insights were gathered during the III Internationalisation Academy by EEN, where experts from across Europe focused on one key message: people drive change, and trust between partners is stronger than any barrier.
As the official EEN contact point in the region, Kharkiv IT Cluster is here to make your path to international growth easier, faster, and more effective.
Want to learn more about EEN opportunities and how to leverage them? Reach out to us at: info@it-kharkiv.com
The Enterprise Europe Network is the world’s largest support network for SMEs. Collaborating with EEN gives Ukrainian businesses direct access to long-term contracts with European companies and support from leading EU institutions.
