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Rebuilding Ukraine through Entrepreneurship

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Since Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022 appx. 8 million Ukrainians have fled from the war. More than 2.8M of these are now in the Baltic sea region, including more than 1M in Germany and 1,5M in Poland. Furthermore, in countries like Estonina, Latvia and Lithuania the population is now +2,7% Ukrainian. Refugees generally struggle to enter the labour market and, on average, have lower employment rates than other migrant groups. In the past, it has often taken up to 10 years to reach an employment rate of 50% for refugees. However Ukrainians have had the opportunity through the Temporary Protective Directory to have easy access to jobs in the EU, and the refugees have taken this option very seriously. This is the case for example in Denmark as it took less than 2 years to put 50% of Ukrainian refugees into the labour market, which shows their commitment to shape their own path and create their own life.

In Denmark from November 2022-June 2023, Danish Entrepreneurs have helped entrepreneurial Ukrainians and enabled them to become an asset for both their host country as well as their home country, through the project IVDK Hub. The IVDK Hub project stands as a beacon of innovation, fostering collaboration between Denmark and Ukraine to address shared challenges and seize opportunities for growth. Through our project, we have actively engaged more than 1.100 Ukrainians residing in Denmark, offering them a vital platform for knowledge exchange, capacity building, and cross-border partnership development. From Copenhagen to Kyiv, the project has served as a dynamic conduit for Ukrainian organizations who were forced to move to Denmark, tapping into a wealth of expertise and resources to drive impactful projects forward. By facilitating access to key events, expertise, and funding opportunities, we have empowered Ukrainian innovators to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.
Through 13 Incubators and 70 advanced workshops, we have co-created solutions, shared best practices, and catalyzed transformative initiatives that benefit both nations, and will help the rebuilding of Ukraine. As Denmark and Ukraine converge on this platform, they unlock new pathways for collaboration, technology transfer, and market expansion. The IVDK Hub project won the national EEPA award for Responsible and Inclusive entrepreneurship in 2023.

In August of 2023, the IVDK Hub project materialized into a 1.400 sqm Physical hub named The European Ukrainian Hub – Uniting to Rebuild, in the heart of Copenhagen. From September 2023-February 2024, the hub has hosted more than 70 events for +2.000 people interested in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Democracy, Sustainability, and Human Rights. The Hub will continue to shine for Ukrainians in Denmark throughout 2024 with another 8 Incubators, 90 advanced business workshops and 30 workshops in green transition.

Facts about the project so far:
+1500 unique Ukrainian participants
+150 physical and online workshops
13 incubators

Building upon a solid foundation
Though we have a lot of good experiences with assisting refugees from Ukraine, there is a lot more to do. First of all we believe that a project that by nature is cross national will benefit the Ukrainian refugees and provide them with a broader international network. A network that can be vital the day when they return to Ukraine and participate in the build up of the country. Secondly we are of the opinion that in order for the refugees to return to Ukraine we need to build up a stronger position in Ukraine with local partners in order to create a landing platform for the refugees in the Baltic Sea region. Thirdly there are elements that are not part of the current set-up that can be added and strong solutions that have been tried out in other European countries can be implemented across the Baltic Sea region. Right now we have noticed a more hesitant behavior as to create new businesses in Denmark due to an uncertainty on how to transfer such a business to Ukraine. That need also to be addressed in a joint program.
The joint project could have a two-fold purpose. One being how can we ensure that as many as possible will create their own business, that in time can be moved to Ukraine and be part of the build up of the country. And the other being how can we ensure a quick connection to the labor market in the host country and hereby securing a labor market participation that eventually can be used also when returning to Ukraine. Both initiatives shall serve the purpose of fostering an innovative mindset and give the best possible situation for the refugees both in the host country but also when returning to Ukraine and creating jobs or have new skill sets that can be used in rebuilding the country.
The following elements could be part of an application to the InterReg Baltic Sea program:
1. Identification of best practices in the partner countries
2. Implementation of best practices across borders
3. Identification of cooperation partners in Ukraine
4. Implementation of a landing platform and educational program in Ukraine
5. Implementation of a “smooth” transition from Baltic Sea labor market and entrepreneurial businesses
What we are looking for
Danish Entrepreneurs is looking for partners in the Baltic Sea region in order to make an application for the InterReg Baltic Sea program. We are open towards both being lead partner or participating in projects led by other partners.
We are interested in Baltic Sea region partners who are actively working with Ukrainian entrepreneurs, governments, stakeholders or businesses both in the region and in Ukraine.
For this call we would like to expand our learnings, best practices, and create the same environment for other Ukrainians in the Baltic Sea area, and shape that entrepreneurial spirit that sustainably shall rebuild Ukraine both Physically and Mentally. At the same time we would like to learn from other organizations and countries in the region, on their best practices in giving Ukrainians the entrepreneurial spirit that will shape the future of their country. This will also lay the groundwork for future trade between the Baltic Sea and Ukraine, as Ukrainians will learn much more about the local markets and cultural trade.

In Ukraine we are already partnering with Incubator programs, Infrastructure programs, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

Rebuilding Ukraine through Entrepreneurship

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