Business forum “On the Road to URC 2025” with participation of 550 international companies starts in Milan

On 5 March, the event “On the Road to URC 2025”, which is a key stage in the preparation for the fourth international Ukraine Recovery Conference URC-2025 in Rome, began in Milan. The event was opened by Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Davide La Cecilia, Italy’s Special Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, and Attilio Fontana, President of the Lombardy Region.

The kick-off panel of the event was held with the participation of Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General of DG ENEST, Barbara Cimmino, Vice President of Confindustria for Export and Investment Attraction and Vice President of the Business Advisory Council, and Lorenzo Galanti, CEO of Agenzia ICE.

“This event marks a new stage in the cooperation between Ukraine and Italy. Italy has been and remains a reliable partner in providing assistance in the defence, energy and other sectors. Today, we face another challenge – the reconstruction of Ukraine, whose needs, according to the World Bank, are estimated at USD 542 billion over the next decade. This reconstruction will require the active involvement of the private sector. That is why our meeting is focused on the development of business ties: about 150 Ukrainian entrepreneurs from key industries are here today to find new opportunities for cooperation with Italian partners. I am grateful to Italy for all the assistance provided,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko.

The key objective of the preparatory event “On the Road to URC 2025” within the business dimension was to mobilise the international private sector to implement recovery and reconstruction projects. The event brought together representatives of the Ukrainian and Italian governments, international financial institutions, and more than 550 companies from 23 countries, including Iveco Group N.V., ELTEC, Green Energy GmbH, Bayer, FIEC, Bloom Energy, Consorzio Oil & Gas Alliance, FAE Group, PPG, and others to explore policies and discuss mechanisms for attracting investments that can be implemented on the sidelines of the conference in Rome. The event will feature panel discussions and working sessions dedicated to strategic areas of development.

Key topics of the event:

• Stimulating investment and access to finance: discussion of existing financing instruments, risk insurance, and government incentives for foreign investors. Representatives of IFIs (EBRD, IFC, EIB, etc.) present existing financing and business support programmes in Ukraine.
• Energy sustainability and green transition: analysis of long-term recovery needs and mobilisation of the private sector to create a sustainable, green energy system as part of the post-war recovery. The focus will be on investments in renewable energy and decentralised technology solutions for the grid.
• Industrial production and processing: stimulating production in various sectors, expanding exports of value-added products, and technology transfer. Participants will also consider ways to increase the production capacity of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Modernisation of the infrastructure and housing sector: development of road and railway infrastructure, and provision of housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
• The strategic role of small and medium-sized businesses: discussing strategies for engaging SMEs in large-scale recovery and reconstruction projects funded by the Government of Ukraine and IFIs. Special emphasis will be on the role of multilateral development banks and the private banking sector in engaging SMEs in recovery projects.

Particular attention will be paid to the cooperation between the Lombardy region and Zaporizhzhia region, the presentation of the conceptual masterplan for the recovery of Mykolaiv, and the Future School for Ukraine initiative, which is an innovative, sustainable and inclusive approach to building new schools across the country in line with the principles of the New European Bauhaus (NEB).

The main programme will include a series of seminars and workshops, during which Italian and European companies will receive up-to-date information on business opportunities in Ukraine, investment prospects and establish direct contacts with Ukrainian producers.

The event is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy in cooperation with Agenzia ICE, the Lombardy Region and the Government of Ukraine.