Investment of Ukrainian companies in the introduction of innovative technologies, in particular, research and development (R&D), should be around UAH 5 billion, up to $200 million a year, Director General of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) Taras Vysotsky has said. “According to expert estimates, companies need to invest 5-10% of revenue in innovative technologies. If this logic is followed, it is necessary to invest up to UAH 5 billion in the agrarian sector of Ukraine, up to $200 million per year namely in R&D, not taking into account the purchase of equipment,” he told Interfax-Ukraine after a press conference on the introduction of innovative technologies in the agricultural sector of Ukraine.
According to Vysotsky, at present, the level of penetration of innovations into the Ukrainian agricultural sector is estimated at 10-12% compared to the global market. Agroholdings occupy a lion’s share of the total number of companies actively using and introducing new technologies.
At the same time, in the opinion of the director general of the UCAB, 10% is enough for the “train to move”, and it takes three to five years for spreading the trend in the country.
“The process is already irreversible, it will move forward. To make 10% turned into a critical mass, conditionally in 60%, it will take from three to five years. This will not happen by 100%, as long as 70% are used, the leaders will move forward. In fact, we have eight-year cycles: from two to three years – the leaders appear, from three to five years – to implement technology on a national scale,” he said.
