Students and young scientists from the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, with the support of university scientists, presented five innovative projects in the field of construction and architecture as part of the VIRA! pilot project during the V Ukrainian Construction Congress, which took place in Kyiv.
VIRA! is the first pitching platform developed by entrepreneurs to promote innovative solutions in the construction industry. The platform aims to bring together experts and investors with young engineers, architects, and designers who are seeking change for real reconstruction projects.
Here is a brief overview of the projects presented by KNUBA students.
Veteran spaces: Yevheniia Horova, Yevheniia Kostinska, Artem Honcharenko.
A project to create a multifunctional space to provide comprehensive (psychological, medical, social, professional) support to veterans. The main challenge is to rebuild not only buildings but also communities. Each veteran space should be multifunctional and community-oriented. The project requires a flexible approach to design and a multidisciplinary approach involving the community.
Concrete for 3D printing using recycled materials from destroyed buildings and structures: Ivan Ivanov, Oles Lastivka
A project to implement promising 3D printing technology using the remains of war-destroyed buildings and agricultural waste. The goal is to ensure fast, high-quality, and cost-effective reconstruction and solve the problem of construction waste disposal, up to 90% of which consists of debris. The technology also allows for the creation of complex architectural forms for spaces that promote recovery, such as veterans’ spaces.
Fungal technologies and circularity in reconstruction: Kateryna Krolenko, Sofia Galat, Anastasia Melnyk
A project to apply mushroom technologies and circularity in the reconstruction of Ukraine. Taking into account the principle of build back better, testing of the latest environmentally friendly materials, in particular insulation based on mushroom mycelium, is ongoing—not only in laboratories but also in field conditions. The tasks for the next stages include improving the technical qualities of the fungal composite and R&D of the insulation in construction laboratories, as well as working with policymakers on certification and asbestos issues, resource mobilization, and community education.
Administrative Services Center: Yulia Gerya, Danylo Galik
The Administrative Services Center (ASC) project is the winner of an open architectural competition among KNUBA students for the best conceptual project for the reuse of an energy-efficient building to provide administrative services with improved environmental characteristics, “Green Reconstruction in Action.” The master plan includes the ASC building with solar panels on the roof, a shelter, a parking lot, and a utility area. The project demonstrates a comprehensive design that combines a modern facade with detailed planning of all areas.
Game-Based Learning for the Development of Management Competencies: Mykhailo Karpov, Artem Vasyuk, Vladyslav Kontsevyi
The project proposes the use of the Smart PM City educational computer game for building a “smart city,” which is based on project management principles, for the effective training of project managers. A safe environment for mistakes has been created, where participants can experiment with solutions without real risks, but with corresponding consequences in the game. The game develops management skills through the task of building a long-term city development strategy, balancing short-term benefits and long-term investments. It is a universal solution for integrating various educational topics: management, finance, marketing, ecology, etc.
Launched by the organizers of Ukrbudcongress, the VIRA! lifting platform has become a unique space where young people shared their ideas for the future reconstruction of Ukraine with an expert audience—construction business owners and leading industry specialists. The opportunity to receive professional feedback and recommendations for better implementation of ideas and developments became a real pitching of solutions for the future reconstruction of Ukraine and helped to understand how exactly it is possible to influence the future of the industry.
“University education cannot be separated from the market and the situation in the country. We can only develop and produce quality results in close cooperation with stakeholders at various levels. We are now presenting five projects and hope that there will be more next year. We are proud that the projects presented have developed from student initiatives or have arisen in response to requests from our stakeholders in the public sector and business. Businesses have a clear vision of their development path, and the advice of practitioners will be very useful for us, for students, and for young scientists,” said Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Vice Rector for Scientific Work and Innovative Development at KNUBA.
Mark Kestelboim, founder and moderator of the platform, CEO of Well-Being Contech, noted:
“Today, Ukraine has a real opportunity to set an incredible precedent: to become a laboratory of innovation, a startup platform within the entire country, where modern standards and inclusion are combined with sustainable technologies for the sake of the future. VIRA! is the first event that will serve as a bridge between young innovators and businesses seeking change. I hope that the platform will become a regular event and that its results will go beyond the platform and bring real benefits to the country.”
The experts in the professional dialogue with students were Anna Iskierdo, creative director and co-founder of AIMM (a graduate of KNUBA), Yaroslav Korniyachenko, founder and CEO of Vlasne misto, Mykhailo Tarasyuk, Big Waves development, Serhiy Odarych, founder of ODA Development, and Vitaliy Borul, CEO of Credo Development.
The topics that the VIRA! project will continue to focus on are urbanism and territorial development, digital technologies in construction management, architecture and new housing typologies, sustainability and green technologies, innovative materials and structures, community solutions, and social services.
ASC, GONCHARENKO, innovative project, Kestelboim, KNUBA, VIRA!, Ковальчук
Contributions to supplementary pension schemes are still not made by 41% of Europeans, according to the results of a survey by the European Association of Insurers Insurance Europe, according to its website.
“Despite the growing awareness of the need to save, 41% of Europeans still do not contribute to supplementary pension schemes, with national rates ranging from 16% to 65%,” the information said.
According to the information, the fourth edition of the survey, which covered 12,700 respondents from 12 markets (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland), confirms that a growing proportion of people are aware of the importance of saving, but financial pressures, information gaps and behavioral factors still prevent many from taking action. Women, the unemployed and workers in non-standard jobs remain disproportionately affected.
The gender gap also persists, with the proportion of those not saving reaching 46% for women compared to 35% for men.
Advice remains a crucial incentive to act: 31% of respondents started saving after being advised by an intermediary or adviser, while 25% started through employer schemes or automatic enrollment. Public awareness campaigns motivated only 3%.
Security remains the top priority for European savers, with 81% of savers favoring products that guarantee at least their capital. Women are even more security-oriented, with 85% preferring capital protection compared to 77% of men. Only 19% of respondents prefer higher risk options in pursuit of higher returns.
“With demographic pressures rising in Europe, the survey highlights the growing risk of insufficient retirement income and over-reliance on public pension schemes. It shows that personalized advice and tools such as pension tracking systems are key to turning awareness into action,” highlights Insurance Europe.
Ukraine and Saudi Arabia have resumed the Joint Business Cooperation Council after a 10-year hiatus, with Ukraine presenting a portfolio of investment projects worth more than $1 billion, according to the press service of the international food and agrotechnology company MHP.
The agricultural holding company noted that the decision to resume the activities of the Joint Council was supported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a meeting in March 2025 in Riyadh. The restoration of this mechanism is an important step towards forming a new architecture of strategic partnership between the countries.
Agroholding MHP, which headed the Ukrainian delegation at the meeting, noted that among the investment projects presented are initiatives in the fields of agro-industry, medicine, engineering, critical materials, logistics, retail, and the creation of industrial parks — areas that correspond to the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 program. Kingdom.
MHP Director of International Cooperation and Secretary General of the Business Council Mikhail Bno-Ayriyan emphasized that the return of the Ukrainian delegation to Riyadh after more than a decade symbolizes a new stage in the development of economic relations between the countries.
“Ukraine is going through a difficult period in its history, but we have not stopped – we have adapted. The economy continues to function, and the financial system remains stable. We are convinced that the potential for cooperation between our countries significantly exceeds current indicators. That is why the Joint Business Council should become a mechanism that will open up access to this potential,” said Yuriy Melnyk, Chairman of the Ukrainian part of the Council and Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Sustainable Development at MHP.
The Ukrainian delegation took part in negotiations with the leadership of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), discussed the resumption of Ukrainian chicken exports to the KSA market after the end of epizootic restrictions, the accreditation of Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the coordination of online audit procedures to confirm the compliance of production facilities.
The Ukrainian component of the business council brings together committees on agribusiness, medicine, engineering, critical materials, IT, logistics, energy, and industrial parks. The delegation included executives from companies that generate more than 4% of Ukraine’s GDP, in particular, MHP, BGV, Epicenter, Dobrobut, Interchem, Darnitsa, Kernel, SoftServe, and Orion.Group.
The Kovalska Group has begun extracting river sand at the Zhavyne deposit in Chernihiv region, with a projected capacity of up to 145,000 cubic meters of sand per year, according to the company’s press service.
The company acquired the Zhavyne deposit in 2022, and in 2025, it completed the process of obtaining all the necessary approvals and expert opinions for its development: a special permit for subsoil use, a positive conclusion of the expert review of the working project for the development of the deposit, and approval of the project documentation by the State Labor Service of Ukraine. This deposit is the first and only sand deposit in Chernihiv. Before its launch, the nearest operating quarry was located 60–80 km from the city.
“We continue to invest in the development of our own raw material base, in particular in the extraction of river sand. And although the deposit in Chernihiv region has not yet reached its full capacity, it already provides Kovalskaya’s enterprises and our customers with high-quality raw materials for concrete, road construction, and landscaping,” said Serhiy Pylypenko, CEO of Kovalskaya.
River sand is used as a filler in dense concrete, as well as in road construction, landscaping, and reclamation.
The Kovalskaya Group owns and operates deposits and its own fleet for sand extraction on the Dnieper (Kyiv region) and Desna (Chernihiv region) rivers. The total capacity of the Kovalskaya Group’s sand deposits is up to 1 million tons per year. The fleet includes self-propelled and non-self-propelled barges, push tugs, floating cranes, and equipment for underwater soil development and loading onto floating vessels.
The Kovalskaya Industrial and Construction Group has been operating in the Ukrainian construction market since 1956. It unites more than 20 enterprises in the field of raw material extraction, production, and construction. Its products are represented by the brands Beton vid Kovalskoi, Avenue, and Siltek. Kovalskaya’s enterprises operate in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Lviv, and Chernihiv regions. The aerated concrete plant in the Kherson region has not been operating since the beginning of the occupation.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) are conducting investigative actions (searches) at the office of the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak. According to NABU’s Telegram channel, the investigative actions have been authorized and are being carried out as part of the investigation.
“Details to follow,” the message added.
Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak wrote on Telegram: “NABU has already confirmed to journalists that the searches are part of Operation Midas (popularly known as Mindichgate). Zheleznyak previously reported that in the context of the ”Mindich tapes“ on corruption in the energy sector, Yermak was mentioned under the pseudonym ”Ali Baba.”
According to the Anti-Corruption Center, details of the search at Yermak’s residence will be available “soon,” but at the same time, the ACC noted that NABU does not have the legal right to investigate the activities of the Ukrainian president. “NABU does not have the legal right to investigate the activities of the president. This restriction has been in place since its creation. Similarly, the FBI does not have the right to investigate the president of Ukraine due to diplomatic immunity. Therefore, Zelensky is not under any threat, and the commander-in-chief can and must continue to defend Ukraine from the occupiers,“ the Anti-Corruption Action Center said in a post on its Telegram channel.
During the discussion ”Mindychegate. Discussion with NABU, SAP, and veteran Kozyatinsky,“ a video of which was posted on the Ukrainian Truth YouTube channel, when asked whether Ali Baba continues to hold meetings and set tasks for the prosecution of NABU and SAP, SAP head Alexander Klimenko said, ”Yes.” NABU Director Semen Kryvonos responded to this question as follows: “I want to wake up in a country where law enforcement officials do not attend meetings with fairy-tale characters.”
As reported, on November 25, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, was questioned by NABU as a witness in the case of businessman Timur Mindich’s back office.
On November 10, NABU and SAP announced a large-scale operation to expose corruption in the energy sector, which was named “Midas.” The activities of a high-level criminal organization have been documented, whose members have built a large-scale corruption scheme to influence strategic enterprises in the public sector, in particular JSC “NAEK ”Energoatom.” Energoatom confirmed that investigative actions were carried out at the company on November 10.
Among those identified by NABU as participants in the Midas scheme are Sergey Pushkar, a member of the National Energy Regulatory Commission (NKREKU), businessman Timur Mindich, former executive director for physical protection and security at Energoatom Dmitry Basov, and former advisor to the Minister of Energy and former deputy chairman of the State Property Fund Igor Mironyuk.
The main activity of the criminal organization was the systematic receipt of illegal benefits from Energoatom’s contractors in the amount of 10% to 15% of the contract value.
In particular, Energoatom’s contractors were forced to pay kickbacks to avoid having their payments for services rendered/products supplied blocked or losing their supplier status. Using their connections in the ministry and the state-owned company in particular, the former deputy chairman of the FGIU, who later became an advisor to the Minister of Energy, as well as a former law enforcement officer who held the position of executive director for physical protection and security at Energoatom, ensured control over personnel decisions, procurement processes, and the movement of financial flows.
Eight individuals, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, have already been named as suspects.
Mindyich left Ukraine on November 10, a few hours before the searches. According to the State Border Service of Ukraine, he left on legal grounds.
Metinvest Digital LLC, the IT expertise center of Ukraine’s largest mining and metallurgical holding Metinvest, incurred a net loss of UAH 9.894 million in January-September this year, compared with a net profit of UAH 48.272 million in the same period last year.
According to the company’s interim report, which is available to Interfax-Ukraine, revenue for this period decreased by 3.1% to UAH 579.713 million.
Retained earnings at the end of September amounted to UAH 43.165 million.
In 2024, the LLC received a net profit of UAH 34.142 million, while it ended 2023 with a net loss of UAH 9.525 million.
Metinvest Digital is a Ukrainian IT company specializing in the digital transformation of large businesses and implementing projects in Ukraine, Europe, and North America. The company develops, implements, and supports comprehensive IT solutions for the development of technological infrastructure, information systems, strategic outsourcing, data migration, system integration, cybersecurity, and information security. Metinvest Digital is the IT business partner of the Metinvest Group, serving more than 30 of the holding’s enterprises around the world. The company is a certified partner of Microsoft (Gold Certified Partner) and SAP (Silver Partner).
More than 800 Metinvest Digital employees serve the group’s enterprises.
Metinvest Holding LLC owns 100% of Metinvest Digital LLC.
The company’s authorized capital is UAH 78.740 million.
Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of mining and metallurgical enterprises. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine – in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions – as well as in European countries. The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%). Metinvest Holding LLC is the managing company of the Metinvest Group.
