On October 26, Kyiv will host the 12th Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF). More than 500 participants are expected—owners and executives of Ukrainian and international companies, government officials, investors, diplomats, and experts. The main theme of this year’s forum is “People. Business. Economy. What’s Next?”. Discussions will focus on how business and the economy can weather the new conditions, adapt, and return to growth.
In the fifth year of full-scale war, pressure on the Ukrainian economy is intensifying. Manufacturing, the energy sector, ports, railways, logistics centers, and other business-critical infrastructure are under attack. According to estimates by the Ministry of Economy, direct losses from destruction could reach about $10 billion annually, and combined with the blockade of seaports, they have already cost Ukraine about 1.5 percentage points of GDP in 2026. According to the World Bank’s October forecast, Ukraine’s economic growth will slow to 1.2% in 2026 and reach 1.5% in 2027 if active hostilities continue. In previous forecasts for 2027, the bank projected 4% growth, assuming hostilities would end by the end of 2026.
“While the discussion used to center on Ukraine’s recovery, the focus has now shifted to ensuring the economy’s resilience right now. Businesses need solutions that will help them protect their assets, maintain production, and continue investing even amid the war,” notes Vasyl Khmelnytskyi, initiator of the Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) and founder of the UFuture holding company.
The KIEF 2026 program features 12 panel discussions. The discussions will center on the physical protection of businesses, operations during air raid alerts, decentralized logistics and energy supply, communication resilience, insurance against war risks, compensation for lost assets, access to financing, and maintaining macroeconomic stability. Other key topics include adapting the state’s industrial development strategy and energy policy to new conditions, the state’s economic priorities, international cooperation, and European integration in the face of new challenges. Special attention will be given to the experiences of frontline cities and the solutions already in place there.
Speakers at the forum include:
The Ukrainian economy already has experience adapting quickly during a crisis. In 2022, following the destruction of the Kremenchuk Oil Refinery and a fuel shortage, the country restructured its fuel logistics, and thousands of businesses relocated from frontline regions to the interior of the country. Following the blockade of traditional maritime routes in 2023, the Ukrainian maritime corridor became operational, and after last year’s large-scale attacks on the power grid, businesses and the government began actively developing distributed generation.
“Today, any discussion about the future must begin with finding practical solutions that businesses, the government, and international partners can adopt right now to maintain stability and return the economy to growth. That is exactly what this year’s KIEF is all about,” says KIEF CEO Yuriy Pivovarov.
Title partners of the forum: UFuture, Mastercard, AEQUO, PrivatBank, Kyivstar
Forum partners: Sense Bank, NEQSOL Holding, PUMB, DTEK, Ajax Systems, Uklon, TERWIN, Eclectic Talents Group, BALEX, CEO Club Ukraine.
Interfax-Ukraine and Open4Business are the forum’s media partners.
