A network of "Startup School - Incubator - Accelerator" will be established based on Ukrainian universities, a relevant resolution has already been adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers. Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov announced this on his Telegram channel.
First, the Ministry of Education and Science will conduct a competition among universities and research institutions to select six winners. They must meet four criteria, namely:
• commercially viable scientific and scientific-technical projects;
• innovative infrastructure;
• experience in cooperation with businesses;
• potential for developing a startup ecosystem, taking into account the priorities of the state.
The winning institutions will then build the network itself. It will operate as follows: if students come up with a startup idea during their studies, they will be able to start implementing it immediately at the university. Scientists will also have the opportunity to create a startup based on their scientific results and attract support for its scaling.
According to Fedorov, this project aims to strengthen cooperation between students and scientists with private infrastructures, including venture funds, and increase the share of innovative products in Ukraine.
Since its inception, the Ministry of Digital Transformation has been supporting startups and creating an ecosystem for their development. For example, the Ukrainian Startup Fund has financed over 380 startups with $8.9 million.
"We are developing an area that will be the basis for post-war economic recovery," the minister wrote.
