PEOPLE, BUSINESS, ECONOMY.
WHAT'S NEXT?

Ukraine's economy remains resilient, but the scope for growth remains limited. The government expects real GDP to grow by just 1.6% in 2026, compared with the 2.4% forecast previously.

Further destruction of energy and production infrastructure, export losses, labor shortages, and a high degree of uncertainty are forcing Ukraine to address several priorities at once: maintaining macrofinancial stability, supporting businesses' ability to operate, and preserving the potential for future growth.

How can Ukraine navigate this period and move from resilience and adaptation to a new cycle of development? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Ukraine’s Economy: Resilience, Adaptation, Growth".

Ukraine has already built a strong digital foundation in public services. The next stage is broader adoption of artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics not only in government, but also in business.

This requires adapting legislation to new technologies, defining the boundaries of their use and the rules governing liability and security, and aligning Ukrainian regulation with European regulation.

What changes are needed so that new technologies accelerate development rather than regulation becoming a barrier? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Ukraine's Digital Acceleration: Challenges, Obstacles, Opportunities".

The war has sharply increased risks and shortened planning horizons. But putting investment entirely on hold also comes at a price: the loss of markets, production capacity, and competitive positions.

Nevertheless, new projects continue to be launched in Ukraine, international financial institutions continue to finance the private sector, and investors are committing capital to businesses now.

What makes an investment viable today, how should wartime risks be assessed, and which instruments can make them acceptable to private capital? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Investment Doesn't Wait for Peace".

For businesses in frontline regions, risk has long been part of daily operations. Companies must maintain production, their workforce, logistics, and energy supply simultaneously while continually adapting to new threats.

What enables businesses to remain and operate under such conditions, what support do they need from the state and local communities, and how can the economic life of frontline regions be preserved? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Under Fire: How Business Keeps Running in Frontline Cities".

Last winter was the most difficult for Ukraine's energy system since independence. Since then, 4.8 GW of generating capacity has been restored, 1.8 GW of distributed gas-fired generation has been commissioned, protection for facilities is being strengthened, and the necessary gas reserves have been accumulated.

Has enough been done to make it through this winter with less disruption? How much more resilient has the system become, and what else is needed to ensure a stable energy supply? We will discuss these questions at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Stable Energy for Unstable Times".

A missile can destroy a factory in minutes. The business is left with loans, taxes, destroyed assets, and broken contracts. The right to compensation from Russia matters, but funding for recovery is needed now.

What should happen immediately after a strike: decisions on taxes, loans, and collateral; an insurance payout; financing for recovery? And which instruments available to state-owned companies could also be made available to private businesses under clear rules?

How can businesses be helped to recover now, how can risk be made understandable to investors, and how can the final bill be left to Russia? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Wartime Business Losses: Who Will Cover the Cost?".

Global trade is becoming more complex. Countries are stepping up protection of domestic producers, new requirements, standards, and trade restrictions are emerging, and access to major markets increasingly depends on more than a product's price and quality.

For Ukrainian businesses, this means finding new operating models - not only exporting, but also building partnerships, investing, establishing a local presence, and becoming part of international production chains.

How can Ukrainian companies maintain their positions in traditional markets, enter new ones, and turn shifts in global trade into opportunities for growth? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Global Markets: Closed Doors or New Opportunities?".

In the first half of 2026, Ukraine set an ambitious target: to increase manufacturing's share of GDP from 8.8% to 20%.

Since the summer, however, the conditions for doing so have become more challenging: strikes on production facilities and energy and logistics infrastructure are increasing risks. At the same time, protectionism and trade restrictions around the world are making access to foreign markets more difficult.

How can Ukraine preserve its industrial base and build new production capacity at home under these conditions? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Ukraine's Industrial Backbone".

Ukraine needs private investment for recovery and renewed growth. Even under current conditions, some investors are ready to acquire assets, expand businesses, and enter new projects.

But a willingness to invest does not guarantee a swift transaction. Approvals, due diligence, and regulatory procedures can turn the path from an investment decision to the investment itself into a long and complex process.

How can this process be made faster and more predictable without weakening requirements for competition, security, and transparency? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "The Fast Track to Investment".

Labor shortages have long been a systemic constraint on Ukraine's economy. There has yet to be a large-scale return of those who left the country, so the key task today is to retain the people who remain and unlock their potential more fully.

Education, employment, reskilling, and productivity growth must function as a single system. How can Ukraine shift from competing for headcount to achieving greater efficiency? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Fewer People, Greater Efficiency".

Joe Studwell is a British researcher of economic development and the author of How Asia Works and How Africa Works. His first book attracted Bill Gates' attention. The Gates Foundation and Omidyar later supported Studwell's research on Africa, which became the basis for his second book.

In How Asia Works, Studwell compares the development paths taken by different Asian countries. Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan implemented land reforms, focused on small family farms, developed domestic industry and exports, and directed the financial system toward lending to these sectors - achieving economic breakthroughs. Countries that retained large landholdings and relied more heavily on commodities, foreign capital, and freer financial markets achieved much weaker results.

Which development models truly work, what lessons from Asia and Africa remain relevant today, and what conclusions can Ukraine draw from them? 

Global business in Ukraine is no longer only about exports. It means companies that operate and manufacture here while having access to international capital, technology, partners, and global markets.

Despite the high risks, international companies continue to invest in Ukraine, while Ukrainian businesses are building new production facilities and entering foreign markets.

What is needed for more such companies to emerge and for Ukraine to become a place where global businesses not only sell, but also produce and grow? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the panel discussion "Building a Global Business in Ukraine Right Now".

In 2026, conditions for Ukrainian businesses became even more challenging. Energy instability, labor shortages, and short planning horizons were compounded by systematic strikes on companies' own infrastructure - production facilities, warehouses, logistics centers, stores, and transport hubs.

The question is no longer only how to recover from losses, but how to build a business so that losing one facility does not bring the entire company to a halt. This calls for new approaches to dispersing assets, backup logistics, insurance, financing, and continued investment in Ukraine.

How can businesses preserve their ability to operate while continuing to develop under such conditions ? We will discuss this at KIEF 2026 during the Closing Panel "Playing the Long Game: Business Strategies in Wartime".