UNIDO advances partnerships for Ukraine’s green industrial recovery at URC2026

UNIDO was represented by a high-level delegation, led by Mr. Yuko Yasunaga, Deputy Director General and Managing Director of the Directorate of Corporate Services and Operations. The delegation met with representatives of the Governments of Ukraine and Poland, development partners, international financial institutions, the private sector and other stakeholders to advance partnerships for Ukraine’s sustainable industrial development.

Throughout the Conference, UNIDO highlighted the role of green, resilient and inclusive industrial development in restoring and transforming Ukraine’s industrial capacity, strengthening enterprise competitiveness, attracting investment, supporting municipalities and regions, and aligning recovery efforts with sustainability and EU integration objectives.

“URC2026 once again showed that Ukraine’s industrial recovery requires practical action, strong coordination and long-term commitment,” said Mr. Yasunaga. “UNIDO will continue to apply its technical expertise, partnerships and implementation capacity to support recovery efforts that strengthen enterprises, create opportunities for people and accelerate the transition towards a greener industrial future.” 

“Green industrial recovery is essential to strengthen Ukraine’s economy, create jobs and advance our path towards European integration,” said Mr. Oleksii Sobolev, Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine. “Cooperation with UNIDO helps translate national priorities into practical projects that connect Ukrainian enterprises, municipalities and institutions with international expertise, technology and investment.”
 

UNIDO and the Government of Ukraine are jointly implementing the UNIDO green industrial recovery programme for Ukraine (2024-2028), the Organization’s overarching framework for cooperation in the country. With a funding target of US$250 million, more than US$210 million has already been mobilized for 10 active projects that support people, businesses, investment and the green transition. 

“UNIDO’s programme in Ukraine is grounded in national ownership and in needs identified with Ukrainian partners,” said Ms. Solomiya Omelyan, Chief of UNIDO’s Regional Bureau for Europe and Central Asia. “By combining policy support, capacity-building, technology cooperation and investment facilitation, we are helping to connect Ukraine’s recovery priorities with concrete opportunities for businesses, municipalities and communities.”

During URC2026, UNIDO contributed to discussions on industrial modernization, investment promotion and sustainable recovery, including the panel “Factories of the Future: Pathways to Ukraine’s Industrial Recovery.” UNIDO also hosted the workshop “Industrial parks as platforms for scaling production in Ukraine: Incentives, strategic investors and industrial clusters for industrial recovery,” which was moderated by Mr. Stephan Sicars, UNIDO Senior Coordinator for Ukraine.

The workshop highlighted the role of industrial parks as platforms for rebuilding and scaling production capacity, attracting strategic investors, strengthening industrial clusters and enabling regional economic development. It brought together policymakers, industrial park representatives, investment promotion institutions and private-sector actors to discuss how organized industrial sites can support Ukraine’s long-term competitiveness. 

“Industrial parks can help turn recovery priorities into investable projects,” said Mr. Sicars. “When infrastructure, business services, technology, skills and policy incentives converge in one location, enterprises are better placed to scale production, enter value chains and contribute to a more competitive industrial recovery.”

In a separate meeting, Mr. Yasunaga met with Mr. Michał Baranowski, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of Poland. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss UNIDO’s cooperation with Poland in support of Ukraine’s sustainable industrial recovery, including Poland’s contribution to the UNIDO green industrial recovery programme for Ukraine (2024-2028). The discussion focused on private-sector engagement, investment promotion and opportunities to strengthen economic cooperation between Ukraine and Poland, including through technology partnerships, industrial modernization, energy efficiency, circular economy solutions, sustainable infrastructure and innovation. The meeting also covered potential linkages between Polish institutions and enterprises and UNIDO-supported initiatives, municipalities, SMEs, industrial clusters and innovation ecosystems in Ukraine.

On the sidelines of the Conference, UNIDO signed a Letter of Intent with the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine (SAEE), providing a basis for enhanced cooperation in energy efficiency, industrial decarbonization and green recovery, including innovative financing mechanisms and support for Ukraine’s Decarbonization Fund.

UNIDO’s green industrial recovery programme has already delivered tangible results. In 2024-2025, UNIDO supported 255 firms in improving business practices, management systems and competitiveness, facilitated the development of 156 investment proposals, and mobilized more than US$4.5 million in public and private investments and co-financing. More than 900 women, youth, internally displaced persons and veterans were supported through dedicated economic empowerment initiatives, contributing to the creation of more than 400 jobs and more than 100 new businesses.

Programme interventions also helped reduce or avoid 37,136 tonnes of CO2 emissions, achieve 62,527 MWh in energy savings, save 364 tonnes of production materials, and reduce or phase out 100 tonnes of pollutants and hazardous substances.

Under technology-transfer activities, 47 grants have been awarded following two calls for proposals, with feasibility studies launched across priority sectors to assess the technical and commercial viability of innovative solutions. More than 500 participants have been engaged through project-related webinars, networking and matchmaking events, and more than 30,000 people are expected to gain new skills.
Building on the outcomes of URC2026, UNIDO will continue to work closely with the Government of Ukraine, development partners, the private sector and local stakeholders to scale up practical interventions that restore and transform Ukraine’s industrial base, create decent jobs, drive innovation and support a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economy.

Background:

The UNIDO green industrial recovery programme for Ukraine (2024-2028) is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in cooperation with the Government of Ukraine, under the leadership of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine. The programme is supported by Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, the European Union, Germany, the Global Environment Facility, Japan, Poland and Switzerland. 

Media inquiries:

Maksym Kytsiuk, National Communications Expert, m.kytsiuk@unido.org