Today, January 21, Ukraine and Switzerland signed a Memorandum of Understanding launching a new large-scale economic resilience programme, “Competitiveness for the Recovery of Ukraine 2026–2030.”
The memorandum was signed by Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, Oleksii Sobolev, and Jacques Gerber, Delegate of the Swiss Federal Council for Ukraine from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The signing took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“Cooperation between Ukraine and Switzerland under this new programme will significantly strengthen the competitiveness of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises and their integration into European and global value chains. Priority sectors include agribusiness and food processing, sustainable construction, woodworking, mechanical engineering, and IT. I thank our Swiss partners for their support and confidence in Ukraine’s future,” Minister Oleksii Sobolev said.
The Memorandum outlines four strategic areas of cooperation:
- Improving the business environment: Enhancing the regulatory framework, digitalizing public services, and reducing regulatory pressure on entrepreneurs.
- Strengthening institutions: Supporting business associations and regional development agencies that will help SMEs access new markets.
- Enterprise modernization: Providing direct technical assistance to businesses to introduce green technologies, automation, and EU quality standards.
- Human capital development: Joint efforts with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to integrate veterans, women, and internally displaced persons into economic activity.
The programme will cover ten regions of Ukraine where Regional Development Agencies are already actively operating, as well as other regions involved in Swiss-funded projects. This approach aims to ensure balanced regional recovery and job creation at the local level. The programme is fully aligned with national strategies and the Ukraine Facility plan.
