U!Innovate

📢 We invite you to Mentoring Sessions within the U! Innovate project!

Dear students and staff,
We are pleased to invite you to join the mentoring sessions that will take place on December 19 as part of the U! Innovate project 🔔

🔹 1:30 PM — Mentoring session «Time Management: Effective Use of Time for a Business–Life Balance»
Learn how to manage your time efficiently and maintain a healthy balance between work, studies, and personal life ⏰

🔹 2:30 PM — Mentoring session «Service Design: Practical Tips»
Gain practical tools and insights for designing effective and user-centered services 💡

✨ Join us to gain valuable knowledge and inspiration!
#UInnovate #MentoringSessions #ProfessionalDevelopment #Education

From December 2 to 5, 2025, seven students and one lecturer from #ONEU attended the Winter School at the Lisbon Polytechnic Institute (Portugal), held within the #U! Innovate project.
During the Winter School, students gained knowledge and skills in climate neutrality and smart cities, entrepreneurship, including green and social entrepreneurship, startup development, fundraising, preparing and delivering pitches, and using AI for developing IT solutions. As part of the Peer Learning Café, a meeting and networking session was held with startup founders.
Svitlana Manzhula, lecturer and coordinator of the ONEU Grant Office, conducted a workshop on writing grant applications and served as a mentor and jury member during the evaluation of the final projects.
At the final stage of the school, teams of students from different countries competed in a pitch contest, presenting their business ideas in the field of climate neutrality and smart cities.
Congratulations to Kateryna Krasivska, a 5th-year FME student! Her team won first place.

On November 19, the final round of the Startup Battle Fall 2025 competition took place.
Sixteen teams from three university faculties reached the final. The participants paid special attention to issues of circular economy and opportunities for sustainable development.
We thank the experts who provided valuable recommendations and sincere encouragement to the participants:
• Andrii Boiko — Co-founder and CEO of Blackwood Atelier
• Vitalii Hahauz — Head of the Valuation and Collateral Operations Department, PJSC AB Pivdennyi
• Pavlo Dykyi — Founder and Head of the Smazhymo Kavu v Odesi coffee network
• Nataliia Kovalova — Student Relations Specialist, Silpo chain
• Rafail Nuriiev — Deputy Operations Director, Silpo chain
• Alina Pervushyna — Head of PR, Hillel IT School
• Yuliia Tatenko — Head of Diia.Business Odesa
The winners of the Startup Battle Fall 2025 are:
1st place
Daily Dose (FME) — (Kovaliova Ye., Buhaieva V., Vasylenko Yu.),
mentor: Nataliia Hrebennik
2nd place
Lapstory (FME) — (Ustuiianova D., Simakova K.),
mentor: Nataliia Kolotova
NearYou (FME) — (Yushchenko K., Matskaniuk Ye.),
mentor: Nataliia Kolotova
BeeCool (FME) — (Kostenko D., Polkova V., Vlasova O.),
mentor: Nataliia Kolotova
3rd place
StepEnergy (FMOIT) — (Martirosian V., Sukonko S., Hubenko V.),
mentor: Raisa Hrinchenko
Sparkl Gifts (FEUP) — (Hashyk D., Chaplynska K., Liashchenko S.),
mentor: Viktoriia Litvinova
Fleur Mistique (FEUP) — (Besieda M., Elson M., Rohach A., Fediuk A.),
mentor: Viktoriia Litvinova
The competition was held in partnership with the universities of the U! REKA European University network within the framework of the U! Innovate project, «Accelerating Europe’s Pathway to Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, ” with the support of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the Climate Innovation Agency Climate KIC.
#InnovationUkraine #SmartCities #ONEU #Uinnovate #vitaliy_gagauz #blackwood.atelier #roastingcoffee.shop #silpoua #hillel_itschool #yuliatatenko #diia.businessodesa

Summary of the All-Ukrainian Round Table “«Forming a Knowledge Transfer Ecosystem: Sharing Experiences and Contributing to the Development of Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities»”

On 14 November, Odesa National Economic University hosted a meeting that brought together over 110 participants from 45 organizations, including 30 higher education institutions, 8 research institutes, 4 state institutions, as well as representatives of business and regional development agencies.

Co-organized by ONEU, ODABA, and the Odesa Regional Development Agency, the event aimed to unite the efforts of universities, research institutions, business, and government bodies to develop a national system of knowledge and technology transfer through experience exchange and the creation of joint initiatives in innovation and sustainable urban development.

Welcome remarks were delivered by:

• Marina Zenova, Consultant to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine on public-private partnership and university–industry cooperation, UIHERP World Bank Project
• Anatolii Kovrov, Rector of the Odesa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture
• Jose Camposano, Doctor of Technical Sciences, R&D Manager, Project Leader and U!Innovate Coordinator, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
• Dmytro Savaluk, Deputy Director of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources, Odesa Regional State Administration
• Volodymyr Pavlikov, Chair of the Council of Vice-Rectors for Research of Ukraine, Head of the State Research Institute of Cybersecurity Technologies and Information Protection
• Volodymyr Kamyshyn, Director of the State Scientific Institution “Ukrainian Institute of Scientific and Technical Expertise and Information”

ONEU Vice-Rector for Research Oleksandr Litvinov and Head of the Odesa Knowledge and Technology Transfer Center Natalia Hrebennyk presented best practices in knowledge and technology commercialization, as well as opportunities available to Ukrainian researchers through participation in international professional associations such as ASTP (Association of European Science & Technology Transfer Professionals).

Participants of the round table identified key challenges within Ukraine’s knowledge transfer system: fragmented initiatives, an imperfect regulatory framework, lack of state policy and unified standards, weak integration into European networks and international professional associations, and limited economic impact of research results.

To address these issues, participants proposed establishing an informal national association of knowledge and technology transfer professionals.

We are pleased to announce that the team from the Odesa National Economics University (ONEU) actively participated in the Consortium meeting and in-person General Assembly of the U!Innovate project (an initiative under EIT Climate-KIC / HEI Innovate) –  a key event advancing the innovation capacity of higher education institutions.

Representing ONEU were:

• Oleksandr Litvinov, Professor, Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs;
• Liliia Zherdetska, Professor, Head of the Department of Banking;
• Raisa Hrinchenko, Professor, Head of the Department of Business Economics and Entrepreneurship Organization;
• Natalia Nianchuk, Associate Professor, Department of Banking, Project Manager.

The event provided a rich opportunity for knowledge exchange, forging international connections and reinforcing ONEU’s role as an active node in the European innovation ecosystem. We discussed key directions of cooperation – from developing new educational modules to supporting start-up initiatives focused on climate-neutral cities and sustainability.

ONEU extends its sincere thanks to the event organizers for their excellent coordination, creating an inspiring platform for dialogue and collaboration with our European partners.

Round Table “Forming a Knowledge and Technology Transfer Ecosystem in Ukraine” — 14 November 2025

Odesa National Economic University (ONEU), in partnership with the U!REKA European University network under the U!Innovate project, invites you to a hybrid event on 14 November 2025, 14:00–15:30. Venue: Odesa National Economic University, Room 111, 8 Preobrazhenska St., Odesa (offline) and via Zoom (link sent to registered participants).

Objective — bring together universities, research institutions, business and government bodies to develop a national system of knowledge and technology transfer in Ukraine. We aim to share experience and build joint initiatives in entrepreneurship, innovation and climate neutral cities development.

Programme of the Roundtable:

• Presentation of successful Ukrainian and European practices in knowledge and technology transfer;
• Formation of a working group to implement the initiative on establishing the National Association of Knowledge and Technology Transfer Professionals of Ukraine aimed at integrating Ukrainian experts into the European Research Area (ERA).

Participants:

• Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine;
• Higher education institutions and research organizations;
• Technology transfer offices (TTOs), innovation offices, TISCs;
• Science and industrial parks;
• Local authorities, regional development agencies, and business representatives.

Co-organisers of the event:

• Odesa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture;
• Regional Development Agency of Odesa Region.

Registration is mandatory
https://forms.gle/NhdJatgj2P6MSesv8

Let’s build together the future of knowledge and technology transfer in Ukraine!

ONEU explores its innovation potential within the U! Innovate project!

On September 29, 2025, as part of the international project #U! Innovate «Accelerating the European Pathway to Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities», a workshop was held at Odesa National Economic University (ONEU) on the topic «HEInnovate — a self-assessment tool for exploring the innovation potential of a university.» The event took place in a hybrid format and brought together more then 100 students, faculty members, and administrative staff of ONEU.
The workshop speaker, Nataliia Nianchuk, Associate Professor at the Department of Banking at ONEU, presented the #HEInnovate tool, which enables universities to evaluate their own innovation potential and identify directions for further development.
In addition to the practical work with the self-assessment tool, Nataliia Nianchuk also introduced participants to the activities of the #U! REKA (Urban Research and Education Knowledge Alliance) and the opportunities that participation in the #U! Innovate project opens for #ONEU.
The workshop sparked great interest: students actively participated in discussions, raising questions about the practical application of #HEInnovate for the university’s development, while faculty members emphasized the importance of the methodology for strategic planning and the integration of innovative approaches into the educational process.
The event became another step for #ONEU toward strengthening innovation and international cooperation, while also confirming the university community’s readiness to actively contribute to the creation of #climate-neutral and #smartcities of the future.