The Ukrainian flour milling company “DykankaMlyn” has completed the latest phase of its production modernization in partnership with the Swiss technology company Bühler, installing an automated system for micro-dosing ingredients into flour.
The new equipment allows for the automatic addition of dry gluten, vitamins, and other micro-components based on the actual flow of flour. This enables the company to produce products with specified characteristics and expands its capacity to fulfill export orders.
The system consists of flow scales, two micro-dosing units, and an integrated control system. The flow scales continuously measure the volume of flour, after which the automated system calculates the required amount of ingredients. The operator sets the desired addition percentage, and the subsequent dosing is adjusted automatically.
The equipment was installed without shutting down the mill. The mechanical work took about two to three days, while the electrical connection and commissioning took about a week.
“Our collaboration with Bühler began many years ago with roller sharpening and technical consulting. Then came the optical sorter, followed by two inline whiteness meters and an automatic moistening system. When the question of the next stage of modernization arose, we already had our own experience working with Bühler equipment and understood what results we expected,” noted Volodymyr Lenets, head of “DykankaMlyn.”
A unique feature of the project was that the Bühler equipment was integrated into an existing mill from another manufacturer. This approach allows the company to modernize individual process units in stages, without having to completely overhaul production, and to spread capital expenditures across several phases.
According to Andriy Sharan, CEO of Bühler Ukraine, the “DykankaMlyn” project demonstrates the ability to integrate modern technological solutions into existing production lines and gradually increase the company’s level of automation.
One of the practical applications of the new system will be adjusting the gluten content in flour to meet the requirements of specific customers. For the baking and confectionery industries, stable protein and gluten levels are key characteristics of raw materials, as they directly affect the dough’s processing properties.
Another area of application is the production of fortified flour with added vitamin and mineral complexes. Such products may be in demand in foreign markets, as in a number of countries, the fortification of flour with certain vitamins and minerals is mandated by national legislation or food program standards.
Automated dosing allows manufacturers to control the accuracy of ingredient addition and their uniform distribution in the finished product, which is important for confirming compliance with export requirements.
“Microdosing can solve a production challenge while also serving as a commercial tool. If a company can demonstrate the accuracy and uniformity of its product, this strengthens its position in negotiations with buyers and opens up more opportunities to operate in export markets,” Sharan noted.
“DykankaMlyn” specializes in the production of wheat flour and semolina. The company’s products are sold in Ukraine and exported. The production facility operates its own laboratory to monitor the quality of grain and finished products.
Bühler is a Swiss technology group and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of equipment and integrated solutions for the grain processing and food industries. In Ukraine, the company collaborates with flour mills, grain processing plants, and food manufacturers.
The investment company S1 REIT has registered a new portfolio fund, S1 “Kyiv Income-Generating Real Estate” (S1 DNA), which will invest in income-generating residential real estate in the capital—including both existing properties and those currently under development.
The new fund’s offering size is 100 million UAH, the company announced on September 2, 2026.
The projected yield for S1 DNA is stated at 9% per annum in dollar terms, taking into account two components: current rental income and potential appreciation in property value.
The minimum initial investment will be 122,000 UAH, and subsequent investments can be made starting at 1,000 UAH. S1 REIT plans to begin the pre-sale of fund certificates in mid-September 2026.
The new fund’s strategy involves building a portfolio consisting of several properties. Initially, the portfolio will include apartments in the income-generating buildings S1 VDNG and S1 Obolon.
S1 VDNG is an existing rental property near the “Vystavkovyi Tsentr” metro station in Kyiv. Its apartments are leased out and generate a steady cash flow.
S1 Obolon is under construction at 18 Obolonskyi Avenue, near the “Minska” metro station. Upon completion, the apartments are also planned to be used as income-generating real estate. For investors, the asset during the construction phase is expected to offer, first and foremost, capitalization potential driven by appreciation in property value.
Thus, S1 DNA combines two sources of potential income: rental payments from apartments already in operation and an increase in the value of properties currently under development.
“By holding a stake in the fund, an investor becomes a co-owner of each individual apartment in two buildings at different addresses. The fund combines the present and the future: today it consists of apartments in two income-generating buildings, and in the future, the fund will be expanded with new properties,” said Igor Gifes, CEO of S1 REIT.
According to him, the transition from investing in a single building to a portfolio model should allow for the diversification of risks across several real estate properties.
The company attributes the decision to launch the new fund, in particular, to the completion of the placement of S1 VDNG fund certificates in early June 2026. Following the full placement of this fund, S1 REIT decided to offer investors a product whose assets will not be concentrated in a single building.
The S1 REIT portfolio also includes the S1 Obolon fund, with a projected annual yield of 10% in dollar terms, and the S1 Plaza Poznyaki commercial real estate fund, with a stated yield of 10.4%. The S1 VDNG fund, whose offering has already been completed, has a projected annual yield of 8.2%.
In June 2026, S1 REIT reported that the total assets under management of its funds had reached 100 million UAH.
S1 REIT works with income-generating residential and commercial real estate in Kyiv. The company’s business model is based on the acquisition of real estate by collective investment funds, its subsequent professional management, and the distribution of the resulting income among investment certificate holders. Projects are implemented in collaboration with the developer Standard One and the management company S1 Ukraine.
The stated fund returns are projected and calculated by the company based on a financial model that takes into account rental income, fund expenses, and the potential appreciation of its assets.
Iryna Starominska, Chairwoman of the Board of JSC “UNIVERSAL BANK,” was named the winner of the “Financier of the Year” category as part of the 30th anniversary nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
Starominska has over 25 years of professional experience, the last 16 of which she has spent in leadership roles in the banking sector. She has headed Universal Bank since 2017.
One of the bank’s key projects during this period was the 2017 launch, in collaboration with the Fintech Band team, of the digital banking service monobank, which operates under Universal Bank’s banking license.
As of early June 2026, the monobank ecosystem had over 10.7 million customers, making it one of Ukraine’s largest digital financial services. The project has also been included twice in CNBC’s “Top 250 Fintech Companies in the World” ranking.
The development of monobank has become one of the most notable examples of the transformation of the Ukrainian banking market, where traditional banking infrastructure has been combined with remote services and mobile financial technologies.
Universal Bank is listed among Ukraine’s systemically important banks. According to information provided by the organizers of the “Person of the Year” program, as of the end of 2025, the bank ranked third in Ukraine in terms of retail deposits and second in terms of its retail loan portfolio, and was also among the top five most profitable Ukrainian banks.
For five years, Starominska has also been ranked among the most influential women in Ukraine’s fintech sector. In her management role, she focuses on the development of digital banking services, the automation of operations, and the implementation of technological solutions for retail customers.
Charitable and social projects remain a separate area of activity for Universal Bank and monobank. According to data provided by the award organizers, from the start of the full-scale invasion through April 2026, the total amount of charitable aid provided by the bank and its team exceeded 497 million UAH.
Of this amount, approximately 386 million UAH was allocated to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, military units, and charitable foundations that assist the army. Another approximately 111 million UAH was allocated to cultural and social projects. The bank also participates in charitable initiatives alongside the UNITED24 fundraising platform and other foundations.
Universal Bank operates in the Ukrainian banking market as a universal financial institution serving both individuals and businesses. Since 2017, the bank has been a partner of Fintech Band in the development of monobank. The bank is part of the TAS Group and is included in the list of systemically important banks in Ukraine.
Open4Business is an information partner of the nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
BANK, FINANCE, FINTECH, MONOBANK, UKRAINE, UNIVERSAL BANK, Старомінська
As of September 1, 445,300 hectares had been planted with winter rapeseed in Ukraine, which is 18% more than on the same date last year, according to the ASAP Agri analytical agency.
The highest rates of winter rapeseed planting were recorded in the Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, and Ternopil regions.
At the same time, Ukrainian farmers have begun planting winter wheat—as of September 1, the first 8,900 hectares had been planted. Sowing of winter barley has also begun, but the work is still in a very early stage—less than 1,000 hectares have been sown.
The areas planted with winter wheat and barley may shrink compared to last year, notes ASAP Agri.
Ivan Tchaikovsky, a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and founder of the company “Agroprodservice,” was named the winner of the “Agribusiness Leader of the Year” category as part of the 30th anniversary nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
Chaikovsky was born on May 29, 1972, in the village of Nastasov in the Ternopil region. He began his entrepreneurial career after serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 1998, he became head of the “Kolos” owners’ association in Nastasov, and in 1999, he founded the leasing company “Agroprodservice,” which subsequently became one of the leading agricultural producers in western Ukraine.
The company is involved in crop production, livestock farming, agricultural processing, and energy projects. According to information provided by the organizers of the “Person of the Year” program, “Agroprodservice” currently processes more than 63% of its own crop production, ranks among Ukraine’s leading enterprises in dairy and swine farming, and is also developing projects in the clean energy sector.
Tourism has become a separate area of diversification. The company is developing “Agroland,” a family-oriented ethno-park that combines agritourism with the promotion of Ukrainian crafts, traditions, and the rural way of life.
In 2009, Tchaikovsky earned a master’s degree in economics and investment management from Ternopil National Economic University, now known as the Western Ukrainian National University. In 2015, he graduated from the Lviv Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine with a degree in “Public Administration.”
From 2002 to 2015, he was elected three times as a deputy to the Ternopil District Council. In 2018, he stepped down from the day-to-day management of “Agroprodservice” to focus on political and civic activities.
In 2019, Tchaikovsky was elected a People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the IX convocation as an independent candidate in electoral district No. 165 in the Ternopil region. He serves as secretary of the parliamentary Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy and is a member of the “For the Future” parliamentary group.
As part of his parliamentary work, Tchaikovsky participates in drafting legislation on agricultural and land policy, as well as in interparliamentary and European integration initiatives.
In addition to his business and political activities, he is involved in charitable projects. In 2012, Tchaikovsky founded the “Pokrova” Charitable Foundation, which implemented social, educational, cultural, sports, and environmental programs. After the outbreak of full-scale war, a significant portion of the foundation’s aid was redirected to support the Ukrainian military, particularly units of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov” of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov.”
Ivan Tchaikovsky has been awarded the “For Labor and Valor” Medal, the Order “For Merit” (3rd Class), and a number of professional and industry awards.
“Agroprodservice” was founded in 1999 in the Ternopil region. The company operates in the fields of crop production, livestock farming, seed production, and agricultural processing, and is developing energy and tourism sectors.
Open4Business is an information partner of the nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
AGRIBUSINESS, agricultural sector, BUSINESS, Tchaikovsky, UKRAINE
The 2026 fire season in Europe has become one of the most difficult in terms of the geographical spread of fires and the scale of their consequences, with Ukraine ranking among the continent’s most affected countries, the Experts Club information and analytical center reports, citing data from the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) and other European bodies.
As of August 31, the area affected by fire in Ukraine was estimated by GWIS at 413.1 thousand hectares, or about 0.69% of the country’s territory. If the Russian Federation is not included in the direct comparison, as the system also takes into account the vast territories of Siberia and the Far East, Ukraine ranks first among the countries of geographical Europe in terms of the absolute area affected by fires.
It is followed by Spain — 242.1 thousand hectares, Italy — 118.3 thousand hectares, France — 105.1 thousand hectares, and Portugal — 60.5 thousand hectares.
In Ukraine, fire statistics have an additional specific feature due to the war. Satellite systems record the territory affected by fire but do not determine its cause. Therefore, alongside heat, drought, careless handling of fire and arson, shelling, explosions and fires along the front line may also play a significant role.
The greatest burden relative to the size of the territory is recorded in the Balkans. In Montenegro, about 1.7% of the country’s territory has been affected by fire, in Bosnia and Herzegovina — more than 1%, and in North Macedonia — about 0.75%. Altogether, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia have about 142 thousand hectares of burned areas.
A separate feature of the season has been a sharp increase in fire activity in countries where large fires are traditionally less common. In Belgium, the area affected by fires has already exceeded the average for 2012–2025 by more than ten times, in the Netherlands — by approximately three times, in Austria — by 2.5 times, and in France — by almost 2.5 times.
In the EU itself, by August 30, 636.1 thousand hectares of burned areas had been recorded within 1,861 major fires. This is 36% less than in the record year of 2025, but more than twice the long-term average for the same period.
