Ministry of Economy and UNIDO clinch deal to launch a green industrial recovery initiative with the support of Japan
On 11 July 2025, during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Rome, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy Yuliia Svyrydenko and Yuko Yasunaga, Deputy to the Director General and the Managing Director of the Directorate of Corporate Services and Operations at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), signed an agreement to launch a green industrial recovery initiative for Ukraine.
The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI), which has provided funding in the amount of USD 188 million.
"This initiative focuses on the development of key sectors that will contribute to the upgrading of workforce skills and sustainable industrial growth. Thanks to the strategic partnership with Japan and UNIDO, Ukrainian businesses will have access to advanced technologies and innovative solutions, will have the capacity to modernise production and strengthen their competitiveness. This is an important step towards the restoration of our industry and the development of Ukraine's economy," said Yuliia Svyrydenko during the signing ceremony.
It is expected that more than 30,000 Ukrainians will acquire new skills and over 40 advanced technologies will be tested, implemented or adapted in various sectors.
"This flagship project is unique in both scale and concept, as it combines technology transfer, capacity building and the creation of creation of new businesses in cooperation between the private sectors of Ukraine and Japan," said Yuko Yasunaga. "Thanks to UNIDO's management expertise and a wide network of partnerships in Ukraine and Japan, we will ensure impact in key industrial areas such as agricultural processing, circular economy, information and communication technologies, renewable energy and energy efficiency, hydrogen, SME productivity, supportive technologies and telemedicine."
Almost 30 Japanese companies have already started cooperation with Ukrainian partners to test and approve innovative technologies as part of feasibility studies.
"The environmentally friendly, energy and resource efficient technologies and expertise of Japanese companies can significantly contribute to overcoming many challenges and promoting the green reconstruction of Ukraine," said Takako Tsujisaka, Deputy Director-General for International Trade Policy at METI. "I note that many small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups in Japan have already developed similar technologies and know-how.’
Background information
The initial agreement between UNIDO and the Government of Japan was signed last year, and the implementation period will last for seven and a half years.
The project is promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. It is part of UNIDO's Green Industrial Recovery Programme for Ukraine for 2024-2028 and focuses on such key sectors of the economy as renewable energy, decarbonisation of industry and development of green hydrogen, circular economy and efficient production, digital transformation and modernisation of enterprises, and development of the agro-industrial complex.