On 31 October 2024, the first online conference within the SofiUm project brought together 52 participants – representatives of research institutions, civil society organisations, foundations, and experts from the environmental and agricultural sectors. We supported Sofiyivka in organising this scientific event within the framework of the newly created Science Park, which is part of the Public Union «Spatial Parks Cluster of Ukraine» .
During the conference, participants discussed key challenges currently facing Ukrainian science, including:
- chronic underfunding,
- limited opportunities to present research results,
- the need for modern tools to connect researchers, investors, and donors.
The SofiUm project has received support from a number of Ukrainian and international partners, including: USAID, the East Europe Foundation, Ukrainian Startup Fund, “New City”, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development, Cherkasy Regional Development Agency, GIZ, and the Ukrainian Veterans’ Fund.
Conference Outcomes
As a result of the discussions, participants agreed to:
- hold follow-up meetings at Sofiyivka National Dendrological Park and at the Institute of Agrarian Economics;
- launch a series of training webinars on preparing grant applications;
- develop the first pilot projects to test the capabilities of the SofiUm platform.
SofiUm continues to shape a new ecosystem for Ukrainian science – open, effective, and focused on advancing innovation.