Ukraine’s first robotics laboratory, RoboLab, has begun operations at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA), according to Acting Minister of Digital Transformation Oleksandr Bornyakov.
“I want this place to become a platform where all students, not only from KNUCA, but also anyone who can come here to get involved and test solutions. We, in turn, will work to ensure that there are more such laboratories in other places,” Bornyakov emphasized, according to a correspondent from Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, this laboratory is designed for about 30 workplaces.
It is noted that the laboratory is equipped with mechatronics kits, robotic arms, 3D printers and scanners, robotic platforms, a VR system for engineering simulation and prototyping, as well as other technical equipment. An important feature of this laboratory is that students from other higher education institutions can also use it.
During the opening ceremony, Irina Legkobit, Director General of the Association of Robotics and Automated Systems, said that the laboratory has a separate practical area where 3D printers will be installed for students to work on their projects. Individual workstations have also been created where students can assemble parts and perform the necessary technical operations.
In a comment to the agency, Natalia Denikeeva, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for Digital Economy, noted that the Ministry of Digital Transformation, together with the Ukrainian Startup Fund and the Ministry of Education, is preparing a resolution that will allow the project to be scaled up to five more laboratories. In particular, there are plans to hold an open competition with clearly defined criteria for selecting the winner, similar to the competition won by KNUSA.
“The approach to the project will be structured in such a way that part of the money will be provided by the state, and the higher education institution will have to find partners, donors, businesses, and organizations willing to co-finance the project,” explained the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for Digital Economy.
Denikeeva specified that it is also planned to attract businesses, both financially and through the expertise of leading companies such as Hitachi and Mitsubishi.
According to her, by the end of the year, it is planned to determine the winners and finance higher education institutions, start work, and if some of the repairs cannot be completed, they will be completed in early next year.
In September 2025, the Ministry of Digital Transformation reported that KNUCA was selected from among 16 higher education institutions in Kyiv. In particular, the winner for the launch of robotics laboratories was selected by an independent jury due to its experience in the field of robotics and its ability to provide space and a team of specialists.
The RoboLab project is being implemented by the Association of Robotics and Automated Systems on the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and with the support of the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, the technology company Ajax Systems, Deus Robotics, and Profi Robotics.
