The creation of agri-food hubs as a new format for international cooperation in the field of food security was discussed by Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Denys Bashlyk and Director General of the DIHAD Sustainable Development Fund of the United Arab Emirates Organisation Khaled Al-Attar, according to the press service of the Ministry of Economy.
“Ukraine is already actively working to expand the Food from Ukraine initiative, namely to create food hubs in African countries. This is not just about exports—it is about building local infrastructure for food storage, processing, and distribution. We want to scale up this approach. Together, we can create a network of modern food hubs that will ensure stable food supplies to the regions that need it most, including the Middle East. This is a contribution to global food security and stability,” Bashlyk said during the talks.
The deputy minister stressed that food security and the construction of food hubs, particularly in the Middle East, could become a new strategic area of cooperation, and expressed confidence that the development of such cooperation would contribute to the formation of a new innovative agroecosystem and the deepening of economic and investment ties between countries.
The parties also focused on developing cooperation between the state and business at the B2B and B2G levels, as well as establishing partnerships between scientific institutions. Practical steps include organizing a Ukrainian pavilion at the DIHAD exhibition in the UAE, as well as holding a thematic round table dedicated to food humanitarian aid issues.
DIHAD Sustainable is a specialized platform and international initiative aimed at promoting sustainable practices in agriculture, food, water, forestry, and natural resource management. It brings together government institutions, international organizations, agribusinesses, scientific institutions, and civil society organizations to share knowledge, best practices, and technologies that promote the sustainable development of agricultural sectors in the context of climate change, economic challenges, and growing environmental safety requirements.
A new project has been launched in Ukraine with the support of the US government-funded AGRO Agricultural and Rural Development Program. The project will strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of water user organizations and promote the implementation of modern approaches to land reclamation infrastructure management, according to the press service of the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
The Ministry of Economy noted that the project is being implemented by the Association of Water User Organizations (AWUO) and is designed to form a long-term partnership between Ukraine and the US in the field of hydraulic reclamation.
“The launch of this project makes it possible to combine state policy, the expertise of the professional community, and the support of international partners to form a sustainable model for managing irrigation infrastructure and expanding farmers’ access to modern technologies,” explained Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Iryna Ovcharenko, whose words are quoted in the report.
It is noted that within the framework of the project, agricultural producers will receive comprehensive consulting support on the creation and operation of water user organizations, management of engineering infrastructure, and ensuring their financial sustainability. A separate area of focus is a professional training program for irrigation managers, aimed at improving the efficiency of land reclamation systems and long-term planning for their development.
In addition, AOWC experts will conduct technical audits of the irrigation networks of 25 agricultural producers and five water user organizations, based on the results of which individual solutions for infrastructure modernization will be developed. It is expected that within the framework of the project, Ukrainian farmers will establish cooperation with American manufacturers of irrigation equipment and suppliers of management and service solutions.
“The development of water user organizations is a key element in the restoration and modernization of irrigation in Ukraine (…) It will also accelerate the restoration of Ukraine’s irrigation infrastructure, as experts estimate that the level of wear and tear reaches about 80%,” Ovcharenko emphasized.
The Ministry of Economy reminded that the development of hydraulic reclamation is of strategic importance for Ukraine’s agro-industrial complex. Since the start of the full-scale war, irrigated areas have decreased from 525,000 hectares in 2021 to 137,000 hectares in 2024. At the same time, the potential for restoring irrigation in Ukraine is at least 1 million hectares.
As of early 2026, 73 water user organizations have been established in 14 regions of Ukraine, including 19 in 2025.
Founder and CEO Elon Musk announced the launch of a new project from his company Tesla, Inc. — a modular house that will be manufactured and assembled using a model similar to that used in the production of electric cars. The company has published a video announcement demonstrating the assembly of modules, the installation of “smart” systems, integration with energy infrastructure, and the possibility of quick installation on site.
According to Musk, the Tesla modular home will have a number of key features, namely:
Musk noted that “the housing of the future must be built quickly, efficiently, and with minimal impact on the environment,” and that Tesla “can do for buildings what it has done for transportation.” According to him, the first prototypes will be assembled as early as 2026, and mass production is planned to start in 2027.
The company expects modular homes to be in demand both in the US market and abroad, especially in places with rising real estate prices and housing shortages. Musk emphasized that Tesla is considering partnerships with builders and developers around the world.
Elon Musk is one of the most famous entrepreneurs of our time. Born in 1971 in South Africa, he later moved to Canada and the US. He founded or was one of the key figures in companies such as PayPal, SpaceX, and Tesla. Musk has become a symbol of “21st-century technological entrepreneurship.”
Tesla, Inc. is an American company founded in 2003 that specializes in electric vehicles, renewable energy solutions, and stationary storage. On Musk’s initiative, the company scaled up production, launched Gigafactory, and became one of the leaders in the green tech sector.
The launch of the modular home project demonstrates the expansion of Tesla’s business format — from transportation and energy to residential construction — and may become a new growth vector in the field of “smart homes” and sustainable construction.
The European Investment Bank is considering a EUR70 million project to supply Mykolaiv with drinking water.
“The sub-project aims to restore Mykolaiv’s access to drinking water after serious damage to its water supply infrastructure as a result of the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant by Russian troops in 2023. The implementation of the sub-project will bring significant environmental and social benefits, including improved water quality, reduced pollution, and increased energy efficiency,” the project description states.
In addition, temporary jobs will be created during the construction of infrastructure elements, the document notes.
According to information on the bank’s website, the beneficiaries of the financing are state bodies and companies. The project is part of the Ukraine Municipal Infrastructure Development Program, launched in 2015 with financing in the form of a EUR400 million framework loan.
As reported, in September 2024, the government reached preliminary agreements with the EIB to attract donor funds for the construction of a water intake from the Southern Bug River and a main water pipeline in Mykolaiv.
The EIB has been operating in Ukraine since 2007. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the Bank stepped up its financial support to help strengthen the country’s resilience and rebuild its infrastructure. Since then, the EIB has provided Ukraine with EUR 4 billion in financing.
Ukraine will receive a EUR100 million loan from the Council of Europe Development Bank for the eRecovery project, said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure.
“Plus EUR 100 million in compensation for destroyed housing from the Council of Europe Development Bank. The relevant decision was made by the Bank’s Administrative Board, and negotiations are underway to sign a Framework Loan Agreement. This amount will be enough to receive more than 2,000 housing certificates for Ukrainians whose homes were destroyed as a result of Russian military aggression,” he wrote on Facebook.
As reported, the Administrative Board of the Council of Europe Development Bank (EBRD) approved the project “NOME. Compensation for Destroyed Property” at a meeting on March 25-26, under which it provided Ukraine with EUR 100 million.
The eRestoration program was launched in Ukraine on May 10, 2023, and owners of damaged housing began receiving compensation of up to UAH 200,000 for repairs. These funds can be used to purchase building materials, pay for construction work and services of contractors who have the appropriate codes to work and whose vendors have applied for participation in the program through the Diia portal. In December, payments for major repairs of damaged residential property were launched – up to a maximum of UAH 350 thousand for an apartment and UAH 500 thousand for a private house. Starting January 1, 2024, Ukrainians who have repaired their homes at their own expense will be eligible to receive compensation for damaged housing.
On August 1, 2023, Diia started accepting applications for compensation for housing destroyed by the war. Compensation will be paid to individual owners of housing that was destroyed due to hostilities after February 24, 2022, cannot be restored and is located in the unoccupied territory and not in the area of active hostilities.
On December 27, 2023, Diia started issuing housing certificates. Since the launch of the state compensation program, more than 11,000 applications have been submitted, and since January, 1637 Ukrainian families have already purchased new homes for a total of UAH 3.4 billion.
Five pilot schools will be opened in Ukraine in 2024 within the framework of the project of architectural transformation of Soviet educational institutions, the Ministry of Education and Science reports.
“Next year it is planned to open five pilot schools that have been selected for the project of architectural transformation of Soviet educational institutions. These are schools in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Krivoy Rog and Zaporizhzhya, damaged by the war. They will be working already from the fall of 2024. There will not only make a new repair, but will completely rethink the typical Soviet school spaces”, – stated in the message of the press service of the Ministry.
It is noted that new design solutions in schools will allow to effectively implement the principles of the “New Ukrainian School”, in particular, qualitatively realize the activity approach in teaching, conduct experiments, flexibly adapt classes to different learning needs.
“Also, we must do everything to make schools truly safe and inclusive. And this is more relevant than ever in times of war,” the department emphasized.
According to the report, the changes in educational institutions were led and implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Ukrainian urban bureau Big City Lab, concepts were created with the participation of European architects Rebuild the Wonderful, and the creation of the concept of transformation of five pilot schools is funded by the Mariupol Reborn public organization.
ARCHITECTURE, educational institution, PROJECT, SCHOOL, TRANSFORMATION
