The First All-Ukrainian Forum of Technology Clusters Took Place in Odesa: Tech Synergy Alliance P...

June 17, 2026

On June 16, 2026, the First All-Ukrainian Forum of Technology Clusters “The Cluster Model for the Development of Ukraine’s Technology Sector” Took Place in Odesa as Part of Tech Week in Odesa.

The key outcome was the public presentation of a unified position of Ukraine’s technology ecosystem on the risks facing the industry, steps towards integrating Ukrainian tech into the EU, and the announcement of joint initiatives that Tech Synergy will launch in 2026–2027.

The forum was organized by the Tech Synergy Alliance of Technology Clusters and Communities, under the joint leadership of Kharkiv IT Cluster and IT-Association Vinnytsia. Odesa IT Family hosted the event.

The event brought together more than 100 representatives of technology clusters, business associations, international organizations, government bodies, and tech companies from across Ukraine.

Regulatory Agenda: What Risks Does the Industry Identify?

The forum saw the first public presentation of a consolidated regulatory position developed with the participation of most IT associations and technology clusters in Ukraine.

Participants identified the following risks as critical to the development of technology businesses:

• uncertainty surrounding the future of Diia.City — public statements by certain government and Verkhovna Rada representatives, as reflected in the National Revenue Strategy, are already affecting companies’ investment decisions and hindering long-term planning;
• the risk of changes to the terms of the sole proprietor (FOP) model — the new version of the Labour Code may increase the risk of contractual cooperation being reclassified as employment relationships, while discussions about restricting IT business activity codes (KVEDs) and the possible introduction of VAT for sole proprietors create additional uncertainty;
• the talent crisis — the industry is seeing a decline in mathematics proficiency, an outflow of experienced professionals, and fewer opportunities for junior specialists;
• European integration risks without adaptation to the wartime context — some EU regulatory practices may be excessive for Ukraine’s tech sector during the war;
• energy instability — problems with predictable energy supply and difficulties connecting alternative energy sources remain among the key operational risks for companies.

Which Technology Sectors Can Ukraine Scale Up Together with the EU?

A separate focus of the forum was the integration of Ukraine’s tech sector into the European market.

The event featured the findings of the EU-Ukraine Digital Sector Interlinkages Report, prepared under the ITBridge project — an international initiative that brings together technology clusters from Ukraine and the EU to develop partnerships, joint innovation projects, and opportunities for Ukrainian companies to enter European markets.

According to the report, 42% of Ukrainian tech companies already work with EU clients, while more than 60% of European companies consider Ukraine a promising technology partner over the next five years.

The areas with the greatest potential for cooperation include AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, big data, IoT, robotics, business process automation, web development, and unmanned systems. The strongest demand from the EU is expected to be for AI solutions, cybersecurity, and defence tech.

Internationalization of IT Clusters

As part of the forum, a hybrid-format workshop titled “Internationalization of Ukrainian IT Clusters: Opportunities, Challenges, and Practical Experience” was also held, bringing together more than 100 participants under the ITBridge project.

Representatives of three clusters shared practical experience in entering European markets: Yevhen Hostishchev (IT Dnipro Community), Kateryna Solovei (Odesa IT Family), and Dmytro Shkilniuk (Chernivtsi IT Cluster).

During an open discussion, participants identified key barriers, including the lack of a coordinated cross-cluster offering for the EU market and the low visibility of Ukrainian clusters among European partners. They also highlighted the main underutilized opportunity: entering the market collectively rather than relying on fragmented individual efforts.

Joint Projects for Ukraine’s Technology Ecosystem

The Alliance presented specific areas in which clusters will work together in 2026–2027. Key initiatives include:

• establishing a joint GR function to coordinate the tech industry’s position on regulatory changes;
• launching international PR and communications campaigns to promote Ukraine’s tech sector abroad;
• joint BizDev programs to help Ukrainian companies enter EU and other international markets;
• creating a library of ready-made solutions and tools for technology clusters;
• training programs for cluster and grant managers.

Tech Synergy also announced that the Alliance’s next major forum will take place in Kyiv in December 2026. The Alliance’s previous forum, Tech Unity: Clusters Forum, brought together 2,975 participants, more than 80 speakers, and over 50 partners and stakeholders from Ukraine’s technology ecosystem.

Tech Synergy Expands to 24 Organizations

During the forum, five new organizations officially joined the Tech Synergy Alliance: Lutsk IT Cluster, National ConTech Cluster, North-Eastern Cluster of Ukraine, Ukrainian Industrial Cluster, and Dual-use Cluster OBRII.

Following this expansion, Tech Synergy brings together 24 technology clusters and communities from 17 regions of Ukraine.

Watch the Event Recording

The All-Ukrainian Forum of Technology Clusters was held with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Strengthening Membership-Based Business Associations of MSMEs in Ukraine,” implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and supported by Switzerland.

The ITBridge project is funded by the European Union through the Single Market Programme (Grant Agreement No. 101196018). The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

About

Tech Synergy is a nationwide Alliance of Technology Clusters and Communities established under the leadership of Kharkiv IT Cluster and IT-Association Vinnytsia to develop a unified technology ecosystem in Ukraine through interregional cooperation, joint advocacy, international partnerships, talent development, and support for technology businesses.

Today, the Alliance brings together 24 technology clusters and communities from 17 regions of Ukraine: Kharkiv IT Cluster, IT-Association Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk IT Cluster, Konotop IT Cluster, Kyiv IT Cluster, Mariupol IT Cluster, Rivne IT Cluster, GovTech Alliance of Ukraine, Ternopil IT Cluster, Khmelnytskyi IT Cluster, Cherkasy IT Cluster, Chernivtsi  ІТ Cluster, Chernihiv IT, IT Dnipro Community, Odesa IT Family, IT Cluster Transcarpathia, Lutsk IT Cluster, National ConTech Cluster, North-Eastern Cluster of Ukraine, Ukrainian Industrial Cluster, and Dual-use Cluster OBRII

Tech Synergy’s strategic partners are IT Ukraine Association, Diia.City Union, and the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance.