At the Transport Forum held in Odessa, participants discussed concession projects, digitalization, and the restoration of Ukraine’s port infrastructure.
This was reported by the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine.
During the forum, the Recovery Plan for Ukraine’s Maritime Sector was presented. It was developed in collaboration with the Estonian Ministry of Climate. The plan envisions €550 million in investments for shipbuilding, fleet modernization, port equipment, logistics solutions, and digital integration with the EU.
According to Deputy Minister of Development Andrii Kashuba, restoring port infrastructure is not just a technical task, but a strategic priority for Ukraine.
“We must create a modern, safe, and competitive logistics system capable of integrating into the European space and strengthening global food security. This process must be based on the best global practices and technologies so that Ukrainian seaports can provide world-class services. Port digitalization is already underway, legislative changes are being developed, and key infrastructure projects are being implemented,” the Deputy Minister emphasized.
He paid particular attention to public-private partnership initiatives. In particular, preparations are underway for new concession projects in the Port of Chornomorsk, including the concession of the container terminal, the first terminal, and the ferry complex.
In turn, Oleksandr Semyrha, Head of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA), focused in his speech on key steps in digitalizing port infrastructure, including IT solutions already implemented and plans for 2025–2026.
“DocPort is not just the implementation of a digital solution. We are changing the logic of interaction in the port: instead of manual, fragmented procedures — a unified, transparent system. In the ports where DocPort has already been introduced — Reni, Izmail, Odessa, and Chornomorsk — electronic passes have reduced the time for vehicle processing from 24 hours to one minute, and vehicle entry time from 10–15 minutes to one,” the USPA head explained.
The forum also addressed new logistics routes, ways to restore the cargo base in Ukrainian ports, and real-life infrastructure cases being implemented despite the ongoing war.
Discussions particularly focused on the challenges facing the maritime sector, including private sector support, fleet development plans, the functioning of the freight market under conditions of instability, as well as legal and insurance protection mechanisms amid high-risk environments.
