On 26 March 2024, a meeting of the Educational Investment and Technology Cluster of Light Industry, attended by representatives of business and the Kyiv City Administration, was held in Kyiv in online and offline formats.

The event is an important aspect of cooperation for the cluster’s development. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the cluster: Ivan Gryshchenko, Deputy Chairman of the Cluster Council, Rector of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design; Andrii Prokhorovskyi, Deputy Chairman of the Cluster Council, Director of RA.DA LLC; Liudmyla Ivanova, Director of DANA-MODA LLC; Viktor Lishchuk, Director of Chinbar PrJSC; Oleksandr Holotko, Director of Ekotapok LLC; Olha Haranina, Cluster secretary, Head of the Department of Fashion Technology. Among the invited guests were: Oksana Zamyshliak, Deputy Head of the Board of Industry and Regular Policy, Head of the Industry Division of the Department of Industry and Business Development of the Executive Body of the Kyiv City State Administration; Olha Tatarinova, Human Resources Manager at TEXTYL-Kontakt LLC; Valeriy Rybas, Director of TC-FURNITURE LLC; Petro Kutsyk, Rector of Lviv University of Trade and Economics; Tymofii Lipskyi, Head of the sole proprietorship Lipskyi Tymofii Mykolaiovych; Liudmyla Hanushchak-Yefimenko, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation of KNUTD; Volodymyr Statsenko, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of KNUTD; Liudmyla Halavska, Head of the Research Department; Nataliia Ostapenko, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Fashion.

The meeting was opened by Ivan Gryshchenko. Ivan Mykhailovych stressed that the Ukrainian government and business are now facing an urgent need to increase the competitiveness of the national economy as a key factor in ensuring the Victory and a decent standard of living for the population. An analysis of the economic development processes in the world’s leading countries shows that the problem of raising the national economy to the appropriate level can be solved, in particular, through the introduction of a cluster approach to the formation of cluster partnership systems in various sectors of the economy. Therefore, our experience, real education in the field of clustering, dissemination of knowledge about a new, modern form of economic management, and formation of a knowledgeable person are relevant.

Ivan Mykhailovych then reported on the cluster’s performance in 2023. Today, the capacities of all production facilities are aimed at protecting our country. The University is involved in improving the material property and tactical equipment of the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, making better the material support of the flight crew of the military aviation of Ukraine. Serial production of flight and technical uniforms, socks and underwear as separate elements of combat equipment with antimicrobial and deodorising properties was created and launched. Cluster member companies also manufacture products for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and we have achieved success in bulletproof vests, camouflage clothing, underwear, boots, covers, blankets, trousers, shirts, rehabilitation footwear, etc.

Andrii Prokhorovskyi, Liudmyla Ivanova, Valerii Rybas and others spoke at the Cluster Council meeting. They stressed the importance of each manufacturer’s contribution to Ukraine’s defence capability and support for the Armed Forces. They discussed the support and development of light industry enterprises, the introduction of the latest technologies in production, increasing competitiveness and developing educational programs to train highly qualified specialists.

Oksana Zamyshliak informed the audience about the results of the capital’s industry, about the volume of products sold and imports of goods in 2022/2023.

Ivan Gryshchenko awarded the following members of the Cluster Council with letters of appreciation for their significant achievements: Andrii Prokhorovskyi, Director of RA.DA LLC, Liudmyla Ivanova, Director of DANA-MODA LLC, and Viktor Lishchuk, Director of Chinbar PJSC.

The cluster members considered organisational issues, namely, withdrawing Chinbar from the cluster due to the termination of its existence after economic transformations. It was also decided to terminate the membership of Cherkasy Business College in the cluster. New enterprises were admitted to the cluster in accordance with the Partnership Agreement of the Educational Investment and Technology Cluster of Light Industry. The cluster members are: TEXTYL-KONTAKT LLC, TC-FURNITURE LLC, Lviv University of Trade and Economics, and Tymofiy Lipskiy, an individual entrepreneur.

They also discussed and approved the cluster’s work plan for 2024 and outlined vectors for further cooperation between the members of the Educational Investment and Technology Cluster of Light Industry in Kyiv to ensure productive interaction, implementation of new ideas, and successful achievement of the planned results.

Together to our Victory!

30.03.2024