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NaUKMA joins the modernization of research and innovation system efforts in Ukraine with the support of the European Commission

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Published on Thursday, 11 September 2025 16:06

In 2025-2028, the NaUKMA Center for Analytics and Business Modeling of Sustainable Development and Department of Marketing and Business Management, in cooperation with a group of prominent international partners, will implement a large “Horizon Europe” Framework Program project "Research Infrastructures for the Future of Ukraine: Roadmap for Sustained Growth and Recovery (RIFF)" under support of the European Research Executive Agency, designed to contribute to the modernization and reform of the research and innovation system in Ukraine.

Research and innovation (R&I) in Ukraine has seen challenging times since the break-up of the Soviet Union, most recently facing major damage to R&I infrastructure due to the Russian aggression. However, as the country obtained EU candidate status and started the EU negotiations in July 2024, the ambition to promote its research system and ensure its integration into the European Research Area has received a new impetus. For this very aim, the RIFF project will contribute to the modernization of the research and innovation system in Ukraine, offering a fresh and forward-looking view of Ukrainian research infrastructures, as well as solid steps towards the renewal and improvement of research institutions in Ukraine.

The RIFF project will develop a comprehensive “Roadmap for Recovery and Enhancement of RIs in Ukraine”, using two main approaches: (1) “bottom-up” — through the organization of an open call for proposals, robust training and awareness raising, and (2) “top-down” — through consultations with a wide range of stakeholders and the involvement of government agencies and representatives of the scientific community. The roadmap development process will also take into account the green and digital transition priorities, and will apply the peer-review methodology established by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) with the involvement of a group of internationally renowned experts.

RIFF activities will efficiently connect Ukrainian RIs to EU/ESFRI through the implementation team linked to major European RIs and a comprehensive strategy for enabling mobility and knowledge exchange between EU RIs and the Ukrainian scientific community, including training programme for Ukrainian RI managers, operators and policymakers.

Thus, the project will actively contribute to strengthening the links between Ukrainian and European research infrastructures, fostering Ukraine’s integration into the European Research Area. Furthermore, the developed roadmap will open a window for reforming and using new approaches to research funding at the national level in Ukraine, and will also be a reliable investment reference for international donors.

On the importance and role of the project for Ukraine and NaUKMA its lead at NaUKMA, Head of the NaUKMA Center for Analytics and Business Modeling of Sustainable Development, professor of the NaUKMA Department of Marketing and Business Management, Nina Chala: “RIFF is not just a scientific project; it is an investment in the future of Ukraine. Its goal is to restore and modernize research infrastructure, create new opportunities for scientists, actively engage young people in science, and support Ukraine’s integration into the European Research Area. The project’s outcomes will highlight the achievements of Ukrainian researchers, inspire the younger generation to engage in science, and send a clear signal to international partners: Ukraine is ready for growth and leadership in the fields of knowledge and technology.”.

Link: https://riff.muni.cz/ 

Project Coordinator — Masaryk University (Czech Republic). Members of the international consortium — German Electron Synchrotron (Germany), European Future Innovation System Centre (Belgium), Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (Germany), Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NASU (Ukraine), Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (Portugal), Kyiv Academic University (Ukraine), National Science Center “Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology” (Ukraine), Lviv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine), National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine), National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Ukraine), National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine), SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre of the Jagiellonian University (Poland), University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy).