Vinnytsia authorities plan to launch the first phase of an innovation and technology park in the territory of Krystal (Crystal) plant in 2021, investment in the project is estimated at UAH 200 million, the director of the Vinnytsia City Council economy and investment department, Vitaliy Pohosian, has told Interfax-Ukraine.
“This is the former industrial territory of the giant plant Krystal. It is now operating, but to a lesser extent, so we took unused buildings into municipal ownership … The project [of an innovation and technological park] is fully funded by the city budget. The cost is estimated at approximately UAH 200 million. We’ve received permission from the State Architectural and Construction Inspectorate. We don’t focus on getting the maximum rental income, it’s important for us to fill the park with high quality residents,” Pohosian said on the sidelines of the conference on industrial construction Industrial 2.0 in Kyiv.
According to him, the total area of the park will be 8,500 square meters, the height is three floors. It will include more than 100 offices for 1,000 people. It will host the Center for Enterprise Development, co-working space, an event zone, an office center, a startup accelerator, the first children’s technological park, etc.
“We are creating an eco-system for creative industries in the city. Donetsk National University is operating next to the facility, which moved to us from Donetsk. Therefore, it will be a win-win system – employers will be able to get qualified workers, and students will get job,” he noted.
As expected, the park will be commissioned in stages starting in 2021.
The UFuture Investment Group of businessman Vasyl Khmelnytsky, which portfolio includes UNIT.City innovation park in Kyiv, plans to launch the first phase of LvivTech.City at the end of 2019, the founder of UFuture Investment Group Vasyl Khmelnytsky has said in a blitz interview with Interfax-Ukraine. “We are planning to open LvivTech.City Innovation Park at the end of 2019… We can say that the first Lviv campus will combine office and commercial sections (cafes and restaurants). The office space will be 9,500 square meters, commercial – 3,000 square meters. It will also be built according to the standards of “green” construction,” Khmelnytsky said.
According to him, the company has not yet attracted partners and loan financing for this project and it is building the space at its own expense. “The park has residents, but we do not sign the contracts until we reach the final stage of construction,” the businessman said.
In addition, the company intends to open an educational space in Kharkiv this year. “This year we will launch an institute and a co-working space in Kharkiv. There is already a modern building with an area of 12,000 square meters, in which they will occupy about a quarter… This is the initial stage. The park will expand with the growth of the market,” Khmelnytsky said.
As reported, LvivTech.City will be located on a land parcel of 1.77 ha on the territory of the industrial zone of former Lvivprylad plant. The project would allow creating new jobs and open the territory of the closed enterprise for society.
It is planned that the gross area of the office sector of the LvivTech.City will be over 40,000 square meters. The park would have parking zones, green zone and territories for recreation. In addition, the project will be implemented meeting the LEED green building standards. The completion of the first stage of the LvivTech.City earlier was scheduled for H2 2018.
UFuture and Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute will build and open in Kharkiv the Innovations Campus educational space worth more than UAH 60 million. Earlier it was planned that the campus will start operating at the end of 2018. The training will be based on an innovative educational program, which was developed by UNIT Factory specialists in cooperation with Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute and other Ukrainian higher educational establishments.
In addition, the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship School will continue its work at the campus, whereas modern co-working will open the possibility for start-ups and creative young professionals to get jobs, qualified professional business support, security, access to knowledge.
The organizers also plan to attract investments from the state, enterprises and local business to finance this social and educational project.
UFuture Investment Group, headquartered in Brussels, was established in autumn 2017 and united the business projects of Khmelnytsky. The group includes the Ukrainian development company UDP, whose specialization is the implementation of large infrastructure projects. In addition, the conglomerate united businesses in such areas as UDP Renewables, the Bila Tserkva industrial park, the innovation parks UNIT.City, and LvivTech.City.
Ukrainian IT talents have received another important argument in favor of the industry development in the country. A new business campus of the UNIT.City Innovation Park with the Chasopys.UNIT co-working place has opened in Kyiv. Many incumbent and future residents of the innovative city – more than 500 people – gathered to celebrate a house-warming party on June 14. “Our main task is to help talented people grow and succeed in our country but not abroad, create big companies. This is a challenge to build not only a modern city but also a space for new opportunities for the development of a creative economy of the country,” founder of UFuture Investment Group and one of the major investors in the project Vasyl Khmelnytsky said.
The building with an area of 3,800 square meters is designed for 360 people to work comfortably at once. The project of the new building was created by the Odesa architectural studio Haliulin Architects. The campus has the shape of a cube, while three types of glass were used in construction. “If to walk along the building, it seems to be hovering in the air, going up and down along the axis,” CEO and Managing Partner of UNIT.City Max Yakover said.
Some 50 well-known companies have entered or selected offices in the new campus, including SolarGaps, a Ukrainian startup in the field of alternative energy, the Quadrate28 marketing agency, ARbrowser, LookinAR, and Crosslytics.
“The first residents of the new co-working space became the following companies: Imperious Group, Royenko Agency, Hubble Ukraine, the DTEK design team, the Quadrate28 representative office and others,” UNIT.City Managing Partner Maksym Bakhmatov stated. The Fedoriv creative agency plans to become a resident of UNIT.City. Andriy Fedoriv is seeking a location in the innovative city building being under construction, the opening of which is scheduled for this year.
“Chasopys.UNIT is the fourth co-working place of the Chasopys network,” CEO of Chasopys Creative Family Aliona Kalibaba said. According to her, the best practices achieved in the last six years were united in the design of the building. “The campus events calendar is being filled in. Schools of entrepreneurship, international competitions and a form of expert Fridays will be held here,” Kalibaba added.
