Ukrainian developers are adapting social infrastructure facilities in their residential projects to the increased requirements of inclusiveness and energy security, responding to the challenges of martial law, companies reported in a survey conducted by Interfax-Ukraine.
According to Alexander Nasikovsky, co-founder and managing partner of DIM Group, today, security issues in social infrastructure facilities, as well as in residential buildings, require an integrated approach.
“In our projects we apply a three-level security system, which includes, among other things, energy security. The projects provide the possibility of using alternative energy sources if necessary, strengthened means of automation of engineering communications. In the buildings we install double-glazed windows with new generation glass, which allows sunlight to penetrate into the room, but does not allow solar heat to pass through, we use heat-resistant mineral wool for insulation”, – he noted.
In the portfolio of DIM Group of Companies there are schools and kindergartens at different stages of realization. Thus, in Lucky Land Residential Complex the construction of six kindergartens is planned, and also the project of school is being realized, the operator of which will be KMDSH. In Park Lake City the company is implementing an elementary school, a community center with a restaurant and a kindergarten for 180 children.
Autonomy of life became one of the important factors in development during the martial law, says Alexey Shmatok, the project manager of Greenville Park. According to him, the “city within a city” principle became even more relevant given the air alerts and curfews.
“Constant air alerts, curfews, missile threats – the reasons why a person wants to have all the necessary infrastructure very close by, within a 10-15 minute walk. Parking, shelter, store, pharmacy, playground, school, cafe – all on the territory of the LCD to quickly get everywhere in case of danger,” he explained in a comment to the agency.
Along with autonomy, the inclusiveness of space plays an important role today. According to Schmatok, underground parking lots in Greenville projects are designed with inclusivity in mind, as these spaces will also be used as shelters.
“Total inclusivity is our new reality. Considering the large number of people who are injured and disabled as a result of war, every responsible developer must necessarily design and make in their facilities, whether social or commercial, everything necessary for all people to fully and freely use them, live comfortably and do not experience any limitations,” Dmitry Novikov, marketing director of City One Development, told Interfax-Ukraine.
On the territory of the residential complex “Novopecherskie Lipki” it is planned to build another school and kindergarten, which will also be realized taking into account the norms of inclusiveness and energy efficiency, Novikov said.
According to him, today the most energy-independent object of the developer’s social infrastructure is a kindergarten Leapkids.
“Even during construction, innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions were applied, which allow the kindergarten to be independent of the city networks: solar collectors for heating and hot water supply, water treatment and purification system, special wells receive geothermal heat energy, which is processed into physically tangible heat. There is a ventilation system with recuperation,” he pointed out.
In its turn, KAN Development continues the construction of A+ school on the territory of “Faina Town” Residential Complex and realizes a recreation area with a swimming pool in “Republic” Residential Complex. KAN adjusts the projects of the complexes, adding shelters for the needs of children and teachers, as well as regulates the heating of houses with its own thermal boilers. We welcome people with different physical abilities on our doorstep: entrances to the buildings are designed without stairs, the ramp slope for access to courtyards is 10%, and in the entrance groups of housing and commercial premises – 2-3%,” the company reported.
In the portfolio of “Intergal-Bud” in the metropolitan region – four built educational institutions, the construction of preschool educational institution in the Residential Complex “Syretskye Gardens” continues, said the commercial director of the company Anna Laevskaya.
“Schools in our Residential Complexes meet the current requirements for energy efficiency and inclusiveness. Moreover, we take into account our previous experience and feedback from education operators who rent these buildings to improve the projects in the future,” the expert emphasized.
More than 236 thousand tech workers in the world have lost their jobs since the beginning of 2023, according to a study by Layoffs.fyi.
The data indicate that the number of layoffs in the tech sector in 2023 will significantly exceed the figure for the previous year. Thus, since the beginning of this year, 1,019 thousand tech companies have laid off 236,495 thousand people. Last year, 1,024 thousand companies laid off 154.34 thousand employees, according to Layoffs.fyi.
In particular, last week, telecommunications equipment manufacturer Cisco Systems Inc. announced the dismissal of 350 employees, and in early September, streaming company Roku Inc. announced a 10% reduction in staff.
Among the tech companies that announced layoffs this year are the American Amazon.com Inc., Electronic Arts, Palantir Technologies, Twilio Inc., DocuSign Inc., Salesforce Inc., Zoom Video Communications, eBay, Dell Technologies, PayPal Holdings, International Business Machines, Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc. as well as German SAP and Swedish Spotify Technology.
Ukraine’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 19.5% in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the second quarter of 2022, after falling by 10.5% in the first quarter and 31.4% in the fourth quarter of last year.
According to the State Statistics Committee’s operational estimate released on Friday, GDP grew by 0.8% in the second quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter (seasonally adjusted).
As reported, in the past year as a whole, Ukraine’s GDP fell by 29.1%, according to the State Statistics Committee.
At the end of July, the National Bank of Ukraine raised its GDP growth forecast for Ukraine in 2023 from 2% to 2.9%, but lowered it for 2024 from 4.3% to 3.5%. At the same time, it estimated growth at 18.1% in the second quarter of this year.
The Ministry of Economy forecasts Ukraine’s GDP growth to 4% in 2023 and 5% next year.
Earlier, the research project Experts Club and Maxim Urakin released an analytical video about the economy of Ukraine and the world – the Experts Club and Maxim Urakin.
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Structure of approved state budget income of Ukraine in 2023
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Changes in consolidated budget expenditures in 2021-2023 (%)
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
PJSC “Zaporozhkoks”, one of Ukraine’s largest producers of coke-chemical products and a member of Metinvest Group, continues implementation of the annual program on overhaul of coke shop production facilities with the investment volume of UAH 180 million in 2023.
According to the press release, within the framework of the program of production capacities renewal Zaporizhcoke is implementing the next stage of overhaul of coke battery No. 2.
Thus, in June the re-laying of five partitions of coking chambers has been started, ceramic cladding of furnaces is being performed. The overhaul is carried out in the conditions of the existing production, which allows to maintain the planned production volumes. At coke oven complex No. 2, the extinguishing car and coke pusher are also being repaired, auxiliary sites and railroad tracks are being renovated.
At coke battery No. 5 the repair of coke expeller, installation of bag filters and air ducts was completed. Specialists of the shop together with contractors are carrying out overhaul of the coal loading machine and quenching car.
“Carrying out repair of coke batteries and auxiliary equipment of the shop is a systematic work, on which the life activity of the enterprise in wartime conditions depends. Among the set of measures ensuring constant operation of the chambers is the use of ceramic cladding of the furnaces. This technology allows to support the operation of the chambers and at the same time to perform a stronger sealing of the seams of coking chambers, to increase the thermal resistance of the entire refractory masonry”, – said the General Director of “Zaporozhkoks” Alexander Bekhter, who is quoted by the press service.
The main contractor of the repair is the plant “Zaporozhogneupor”, which with the beginning of the full-scale war expanded the line of refractories for coke batteries of “Zaporozhkoks” and mastered the process of their lining.
As reported, “Zaporozhkoks” for 8M-2023 increased production of blast furnace coke by 22% compared to the same period last year – up to 572.3 thousand tons from 466.7 thousand tons.
“Zaporozhkoks” in 2022 decreased production of blast furnace coke by 11.9% compared to 2021 – to 737.4 thousand tons, including 70.8 coke produced in December.
“Zaporozhkoks” produces about 10% of coke produced in Ukraine, owns a full technological cycle of processing of coke-chemical products. In addition, it produces coke gas and pitch coke.
“Metinvest is a vertically integrated mining group of companies. Its major shareholders are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage the company.
Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.
