September 24, 2024, Kyiv – As part of the Access2Finance conference, after the panel discussion “Sources of Financing for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMEs)”, an important event took place – the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Ukrainian Association of Fintech and Innovation Companies (UAFIC) and the Entrepreneurship Development Fund.
The memorandum was signed by Rostyslav Dyuk, Chairman of the Board of UAFIC, and Viktor Katrenych, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Entrepreneurship Development Fund. The purpose of the agreement is to strengthen cooperation between the organizations to support regional economic development and strengthen the position of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ukraine.
The memorandum pays special attention to supporting veteran and women-owned businesses, which is one of the key aspects of social responsibility. The parties also intend to promote the implementation of the principles of sustainable development and ESG (environmental, social and governance criteria), which are important for ensuring sustainable economic growth and increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian entrepreneurs.
The parties agreed on joint initiatives aimed at increasing SMEs’ access to finance, promoting regional economic activity, and introducing the latest technological solutions for business development.
“The signing of this memorandum is an important step for UAFIC towards expanding opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine. It is important that as part of our cooperation we will focus on supporting veteran and women-owned businesses, which are the basis for creating a more inclusive and sustainable economy. In addition, the implementation of ESG principles will be a key aspect for increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian enterprises,” said Rostyslav Dyuk, Chairman of the UAFIC Board.
“For the Fund, the top priority is to support Ukrainian business, especially in such difficult times. In addition, this is exactly the period when it is necessary to involve businesses in the implementation of ESG standards and further develop in this direction for the successful implementation of economic activities. That is why we are pleased to sign a memorandum with UAFIC to jointly support entrepreneurs in our country,” said Viktor Katrenych, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Ford Entrepreneurship Development.
The signing of this memorandum is an important step in strengthening Ukraine’s economy, improving the business climate and supporting entrepreneurship that meets the principles of sustainable development.
The memorandum was signed at the Access2Finance conference, which was supported by the USAID Project Investing for Business Sustainability.
COOPERATION, Entrepreneurship Development Fund, FINTECH, MEMORANDUM
DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko and Honeywell President for Central and Eastern Europe Przemek Schuder signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin.
“The companies have agreed to explore prospects for accelerated recovery and maximization of DTEK’s capacities damaged by Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, implementation of energy storage systems and Honeywell’s advanced modular solutions for oil and gas processing,” DTEK’s website reports.
The companies will also cooperate in supporting DTEK’s overall long-term energy transition strategy by offering solutions to optimize and decarbonize energy production.
According to Timchenko, the expansion of cooperation with Honeywell will mark a new phase in Ukraine’s recovery process and strengthen its energy security and economic potential.
“Large-scale international partnerships are the foundation for Ukraine’s recovery, and today’s announcement is an example of how Ukraine needs actions, not words. Our energy system is under constant threat, and I am deeply grateful to Honeywell for its unwavering support in restoring and creating a new energy system,” DTEK CEO said in a release.
Schuder, for his part, noted that, according to its portfolio focused on three global megatrends, namely automation, energy transition and the future of aviation, Honeywell is an innovator in the introduction of technologies that accelerate the transition and automation of the energy sector.
“We are committed to supporting the industry’s urgent needs today, from resilience to optimization, and we are pleased to expand our cooperation with DTEK, which we highly value, to jointly find new ways to support Ukraine’s current and long-term energy needs,” he added.
DTEK said that its cooperation with Honeywell began in May 2021, when the companies launched Ukraine’s first Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Enerhodar, and now it will support DTEK in assessing Ukraine’s critical energy needs and provide recommendations on how to implement Honeywell’s BESS together with DTEK’s current systems.
Honeywell’s BESS includes a set of technologies for automating and managing the storage and delivery of energy to a microgrid or national grid. This is a critical solution for managing the distribution of electricity, including from renewable sources, DTEK explained.
During the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin, Ukrhydroenergo and the international corporation AECOM signed a memorandum of cooperation in the implementation of projects aimed at restoring and reconstructing hydropower facilities.
According to the website of the operator of Ukrainian hydroelectric power plants and pumped storage plants on Tuesday, AECOM will act as a technical consultant for the restoration of Ukraine’s hydropower infrastructure.
“AECOM has many years of professional experience in the development, design and reconstruction of hydropower facilities and dams around the world. The signing of the Memorandum and our cooperation will be another important step in the restoration of the damaged Ukrainian energy infrastructure in general, and hydropower generation in particular,” said Ihor Syrota, CEO of Ukrhydroenergo, as quoted in the company’s statement.
According to him, the signing of the memorandum will also help create incentives and guarantees at the state level to attract investment and innovative technologies in the energy sector.
“We are proud to cooperate with Ukrhydroenergo, and we are strengthening our role in supporting the restoration of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure,” AECOM CEO Troy Rudd said, as quoted by the press service of Ukrhydroenergo.
AECOM, hydropower generation, MEMORANDUM, RESTORATION, UKRHYDROENERGO
NNEGC Energoatom and Korean Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (HDEC) have signed a memorandum of cooperation on the design, construction and commissioning of new nuclear power units in Ukraine.
The relevant agreements were signed in Kyiv on Monday by Energoatom’s acting Chairman of the Board Petro Kotin and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai Engineering and Construction Yong Choi in the presence of Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Ukraine Hyun Tae Kim.
At a briefing after the signing of the memorandum, the head of the Energy Ministry noted that this is the beginning of cooperation in the completion of new units and in general for the future, including joint work on new reactor models.
“But now we are talking about specific projects – those that we are currently implementing at the Khmelnytskyi NPP,” the minister added.
As Kotin noted at the briefing, South Korea has a very extensive nuclear industry and a great deal of expertise in it, so the issue of cooperation with Hyundai, which is a leader in this area, is very important for Energoatom.
He also noted that cooperation with this company has already begun, recalling that part of the equipment for KhNPP-5, for the purchase of which an agreement was signed with Westihghouse last year, was manufactured by Hyundai.
“Their support will be very important for us in the future, for the success of our nuclear projects. And we have a very big plan,” Kotin emphasized.
In its release following the meeting, the Ministry of Energy added that the document, in particular, provides for the assistance of Korean partners in the development of production facilities to localize equipment production in Ukraine.
Galushchenko also thanked the Republic of Korea for the assistance provided to the Ukrainian energy sector since the beginning of the full-scale war with Russia, in particular for 10 cargoes of humanitarian aid, including 20 backup power plants and mini-excavators.
At the same time, Hyun Tae Kim emphasized that the Korean side is outraged by the recent Russian attacks that have caused enormous damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to him, the government of the Republic of Korea is working to help the Ukrainian energy sector, in particular Kharkiv. At the end of last year, 60 diesel generators were transferred to Ukraine, and another 200 are planned for this year. Korea will also increase support for the Ukrainian energy sector through international organizations.
Hyun Tae Kim noted that the signing of the memorandum between Energoatom and Hyundai will contribute to the development of Ukrainian-Korean cooperation in the nuclear industry, in particular, the exchange of experience in nuclear technologies.
The Ministry of Energy also added that the memorandum of cooperation between the companies was developed in accordance with the agreements set forth in the letter of intent signed during the World Nuclear Exhibition in Paris at the end of November 2023.
As reported, Ukraine has begun construction of KhNPP-5 infrastructure using the AR1000 technology of the American Westighouse. In addition, it is planned to build KhNPP-6 using this technology, as well as two units at the South Ukrainian NPP. In total, the parties agreed on 9 new units.
PJSC Ukrnafta and the American Petroleum Institute (API) have signed a memorandum of understanding, according to which the company will have access to API standards agreed by the global industry community.
“Our experts will take part in meetings and working groups focused on developing and discussing top international practices. API and Ukrnafta will be able to jointly organize standardization, training, certification and safety events,” the company said in a press release on Friday.
According to the document, citing Ukrnafta CEO Serhiy Koretsky, this is the most strategic step for the national oil industry in many years of its existence.
“The Ukrainian oil and gas industry has a glorious history, strong experience and great development prospects. However, we have long been dependent on Soviet, Russian and Belarusian equipment. The API Memorandum should change this for good,” the CEO said.
The signed agreement confirms the commitment of both parties to strengthen Ukraine’s energy independence and its move away from Russian standards, equipment and operations.
According to the press release, quoting API Senior Vice President of Global Industry Services Anchal Liddar, API, as the world’s premier standard-setting organization for the natural gas and oil industries, is honored to begin a new cooperative relationship with Ukrnafta.
“This alliance reinforces our shared vision of strengthening Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and independence based on our world-class standards,” said Liddar.
For his part, according to the Ukrnafta CEO, the memorandum actually opens the door to the future for the company.
“We will be able to exchange information about annual programs, plans for the development of standards and best practices, which will allow us to understand how the world will develop and what Ukrnafta needs to do to be on the same page with the benchmarks that drive progress in the oil and gas industry,” Koretsky explained.
It is noted that the memorandum of understanding with API will allow Ukrnafta to significantly increase its efficiency and attract the best examples of world technologies to the development of the Ukrainian oil industry.
“This is one of the key projects of the company’s transformation in the coming years, which will allow Ukraine to gain the desired energy independence,” the press release says.
API was established in 1919. Since then, the organization has developed more than 800 standards to improve operational and environmental safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
Currently, API represents all segments of the American oil and gas industry. About 600 members of the organization produce, process and distribute most of the energy in the United States and participate in the API Energy Excellence® program, which accelerates progress in environmental and safety protection through the introduction of new technologies and transparent reporting.
Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solsky and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark Jakob Jensen have signed a memorandum of understanding between the agriculture ministries of the two countries, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported.
“The signing of the memorandum is aimed at long-term strategic cooperation to improve the efficiency and sustainability of food production and agriculture,” the statement said.
According to the document, the parties will exchange information and experience in the field of green transition of agriculture and food systems, including joint policies and climate solutions; in the field of food safety and food security.
Ukraine and Denmark are also interested in the prospects of livestock development, including management, animal welfare, animal health, animal breeding, feed and organic farming.
Ukraine and Denmark will set up a joint working group to identify areas of cooperation.
Solsky thanked the Danish government for its support and assistance. According to him, Danish farmers have been successfully developing their business in Ukraine for the past 15 years. They are not deterred by the war in Ukraine.
“Denmark is one of the examples of agriculture in Europe and the world of how to be efficient and profitable. And an example of very high technology. We are interested in investments and in a greater presence of Danes in Ukrainian business. This is a good experience, an extremely high-quality approach, something we would like to learn from, something we want to follow,” the Ukrainian minister emphasized.
In turn, Jensen expressed confidence in the effectiveness of cooperation with Ukraine in the agricultural sector.
