The Zhytomyr Vocational Education Center, located at 5 Seletska Street, is soon to convert its manufacturing workshop into a state-of-the-art Entrepreneurship Laboratory.

This project is being implemented in Zhytomyr with funding from the UNDP, support from GIZ, and in cooperation with the German city of Dortmund.

Hagen Ettner, the director of the “EU4 Business: SME Recovery, Competitiveness and Internationalization” program, paid a visit to the site today. His visit to Zhytomyr is connected to the discussion about the outcomes and potential future directions for collaboration with Zhytomyr.

The Entrepreneurship Laboratory is the first space of such kind where entrepreneurs can work alongside pupils and students. Similar laboratories can be found at several universities, although they are used exclusively for educational purposes. Micro and small business owners will have free access to the highly technical equipment of the laboratory for small-scale production of their products intended for future sale. This includes woodworking, metalworking, and 3D modeling.

Hagen Ettner said, “Our cooperation aims to support the Ukrainian economy in difficult times and develop it in the European direction.”

“With this support, we are trying to strengthen the Zhytomyr business,” said Sergiy Sukhomlyn. According to the mayor, after the war is finished, the economy of our country will change and Ukrainian businesses will find new partners. “That is why European approaches to economic policy making are valuable for Zhytomyr.”

“We will try to help businesses reorient themselves. The European Union has excellent prospects for Ukrainian industry, and it is crucial for businesses to comprehend the European market and how to operate inside it,” the mayor emphasizes.

Hagen Ettner spoke with entrepreneurs who participated in the Business School and the Export School.

“Businesses should reinforce each other, not just compete with each other. And this will contribute to the economic development of the region,” said Svitlana Olshanska, First Deputy Mayor. She is convinced that the cluster approach to the economy is an effective tool for its development, when competition is combined with cooperation, i.e. business cooperation.

Another significant aspect is that Zhytomyr is working to prepare the ground for the return of military people to civilian life after demobilization and their re-profiling. After all, when it comes to the total number of mobilized individuals, our city ranks top.