ARRKO in Slavutych Community: Education, Entrepreneurship and People as Drivers of Growth

The Kyiv Regional Development Agency continues its series of focus groups in Kyiv region communities to deeply analyse local needs, identify growth potential and jointly search for real, viable solutions. One such meeting was a focus group in Slavutych community, moderated by Valentyna Poltavets.

Slavutych is the youngest city in Ukraine, founded in 1987 for workers of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The city stands out for its unique architecture, preserved since its construction, and a high level of social infrastructure: modern schools, kindergartens, swimming pools and parks. A distinctive feature of the community is the significant number of office premises, which creates favourable conditions for business development and attracting investment. In addition, the city is surrounded by forests, which opens up prospects for the development of recreational and health tourism.

Educational and human resources potential

Slavutych has strong educational potential. The city is home to a branch of the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where highly qualified lecturers work, including doctors and candidates of science. Graduates of this branch receive a quality education in computer science, which contributes to forming a qualified talent pool for local business and industry. In addition, the city has the “Slavutych” vocational training centre, which provides initial training, retraining and professional development for workers in various specialities.

Challenges and development prospects

Despite its numerous advantages, Slavutych community faces certain challenges. Proximity to the border with Belarus (about 6 km) and remoteness from the main transport routes complicate logistics links and hold back economic development. In addition, administrative issues related to the boundary with Chernihiv Oblast create additional difficulties in managing certain facilities and territories.

Despite these challenges, the community is actively working to attract investment and develop entrepreneurship. In particular, a strategic development plan for the city has been drawn up, envisaging increased competitiveness through the development of the IT sector, culture and tourism, and the creation of favourable conditions for doing business. As part of this strategy, plans include increasing the number of small enterprises and the volume of goods sold, as well as creating a business park to attract investors and develop entrepreneurial activity.

Support for entrepreneurship and business relocation

During the focus group, particular attention was paid to supporting entrepreneurship and integrating relocated businesses. The meeting was attended by representatives of local authorities, including Mayor Yurii Fomin and Oleksandra Starovoitova, director of the Office for Support of Public Initiatives, as well as representatives of businesses relocated from Mariupol and the entrepreneurship support fund in Slavutych. The activity and initiative of entrepreneurs who moved their business to Slavutych were highly appreciated by meeting participants.

Slavutych community demonstrates resilience and a commitment to development, using its unique resources and educational potential. The joint efforts of local authorities, business and the public are aimed at overcoming existing challenges and creating favourable conditions for life and entrepreneurial activity.

We sincerely thank the community’s leadership, representatives of business, education and culture, and all focus group participants for an open and constructive dialogue. It is precisely this kind of cooperation that is the key to the sustainable development and prosperity of the community.

The focus groups are being carried out with the grant support of the International Renaissance Foundation.