On September 12-13, 2024, the main economic event of the year — the Odesa Economic Revival Forum — took place in Odesa. The forum gathered diplomats, government representatives, local authorities, politicians, entrepreneurs, and public figures to discuss the strategy for the city’s economic recovery during wartime.
Opening the event, Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov emphasized that the main goal is to showcase Odesa’s investment appeal, which continues to develop even during the war. “We see Odesa’s revival as a powerful cultural, economic, scientific, and tourist center of Ukraine — with developed infrastructure, high social and environmental standards, and quality of life,” he stated.
In his speech, Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda stressed Japan’s readiness to continue its comprehensive support of the city: “We believe that the recovery of Odesa and the region will be key to Ukraine’s long-term recovery.” He highlighted that the Japanese side is actively collaborating with Ukrainian partners on infrastructure and cultural heritage projects, which are crucial elements of the city’s long-term support.
In particular, Japan is already involved in funding projects related to the reconstruction of Odesa and providing technical and humanitarian assistance. This international support is crucial for the successful implementation of the city’s recovery strategy, which was actively discussed at the forum.
For the DOMOVA team, the forum offered valuable opportunities to network and engage in meaningful discussions on key economic topics, such as attracting investors and addressing housing reconstruction. These exchanges will support the growth of our platform and contribute to Odesa’s ongoing recovery.
Barrier-free and inclusive recovery of the country
On May 15-16, 2024, the second UKRAINIAN CONSTRUCTION CONGRESS took place in Kyiv, focusing on the restoration of Ukraine with the requirements of barrier-free and inclusive design. This event brought together representatives from the government, business, and public organizations to discuss pressing issues in the country’s recovery.
Among the participants and partners of the congress was the DOMOVA team with Oleksandr Sarzhan presenting the platform for the sale of old, dilapidated, and war-damaged housing to the audience. This innovative solution is already attracting interest from investors and developers.
The importance of barrier-free and inclusive recovery
Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych emphasized that Ukraine has 3 million people with disabilities, a number that continues to grow due to ongoing hostilities. Therefore, the requirements for barrier-free and inclusive recovery are extremely important.
Advisor to the President of Ukraine on barrier-free issues, Tetyana Lomakina, noted, “Today, barrier-free design and construction is about showing respect for people, social responsibility, and the professionalism of your teams. Without exaggeration, each of us will eventually need barrier-free spaces.”
Main topics of the congress
The congress also covered important topics such as:
- Strategies and challenges of Ukraine’s recovery
- Government programs and tools for solving housing issues
- Veteran entrepreneurship as a guarantee of social security
- Industrial recovery as a crucial driver of Ukraine’s economic development
- New approaches to construction in wartime conditions
- Prospects for the restoration of housing construction
A significant part of the congress was the panel discussion “Work of international and Ukrainian funds, main directions, key projects, and initiatives.”
Restoration of cultural objects
Rostyslav Karandeev, Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, emphasized the importance of universal solutions in recovery, which will create an effective mechanism for the rapid restoration of cultural objects in communities. He noted the need to preserve the cultural value of buildings, not just their economic benefits.
Panel discussion on barrier-free and inclusive recovery
The panel “Barrier-free and inclusive recovery: challenges of modernity” was moderated by Vitaliy Melnyk, Vice President of the development company UDP. He emphasized the priority of issues related to inclusivity and barrier-free design for the government and society as a whole, the need for systemic changes in legislation, infrastructure, and education, as well as the importance of creating accessible infrastructure.
Conclusions and perspectives
This year’s UKRAINIAN CONSTRUCTION CONGRESS significantly expanded, consolidating Ukrainian authorities, businesses, public organizations, and structures, becoming a platform for a series of events by international and Ukrainian organizations. DOMOVA, with its presentation of the platform for the sale of old and dilapidated housing, became a relevant part of this event, demonstrating its innovative solutions for the restoration of Ukraine’s housing stock.
On April 11, 2024, in Kyiv, the RECOVERY CONSTRUCTION FORUM UKRAINE was held, gathering key figures from government circles and the construction industry to exchange views on significant challenges and coordinate efforts for the country’s recovery. The DOMOVA team represented the company at this forum.
The event brought together more than 2000 participants, including government officials, local community representatives, businessmen in construction, architects, construction faculty students, and other interested experts and specialists.
The forum covered three main thematic sessions. The first session focused on state recovery policies, discussing priorities, and international participation in recovery processes. The second session concentrated on community support, including discussions on potential opportunities and planning. The last session involved discussions on technical regulation processes, standards, and innovations in the industry.
Participants of the forum also engaged in numerous discussion panels, particularly discussing government support programs, transparency in recovery processes, and the latest approaches in development and architecture, in line with the challenges and requirements of modern construction, considering the situation.
- Should existing buildings be restored or is it better to demolish them and build new ones?
- How should the construction industry develop in the future?
- What steps should be taken to reduce energy consumption and increase the ecological sustainability of buildings?
- How can urban spaces be freed from reliance on extractive energy sources?
Analyzing the problems posed by outdated residential properties, such as worn-out engineering networks, inaccessibility for people with disabilities, low energy efficiency, and non-compliance with modern norms of insulation and effective space use, experts conclude that to ensure the safety of the population in potential threat conditions and to form new standards in construction and utility services, it is necessary to adopt the best global practices. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, discussions on these relevant issues have continued in the country, especially in the context of the war, when damage to the energy infrastructure indicates the need for new approaches in construction.
In Ukraine, major renovations of old houses were rare, leading to their deterioration. Housing policy development should be participatory, taking into account the needs of all population groups, and comply with the requirements and new standards in the country. The development of effective civil defense systems is becoming increasingly important. A significant step in this direction was the signing of a law by President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 22, 2023, which mandates the provision of bomb shelters in new buildings, as well as norms adopted on August 10, defining requirements for the construction of civil defense structures – DBN V.2.2-5:2023. These norms are aimed at ensuring the safety of the population in potential threat conditions and forming new standards in construction and utility services.
Therefore, successful global practices for energy-efficient sustainable construction should be studied and implemented in the algorithms of new construction, motivating communities to build according to modern needs and societal requirements: safety and environmental sustainability at all levels.