The international summit “Accelerating Autonomy with European Frontiers” took place in Warsaw, bringing together representatives of European Digital Innovation Hubs, technology centres and partner organisations from various EU countries. Over the course of two days, participants worked on issues relating to the development of innovation infrastructure, the implementation of AI and the integration of digital ecosystems.

EDIH Kyiv HiTech’s participation in the summit was an important step for us in shaping joint approaches to Ukraine’s integration into the EU’s Digital Single Market and the development of business services, as well as helping to establish international connections.

Working meetings with international partners formed a significant part of the programme. In particular, there was an exchange of experience with representatives of EDIH Digital Innovation Zone (Romania) regarding approaches to digital transformation. Such contacts lay the foundation for new joint initiatives and open up opportunities for the integration of Ukrainian companies into European technological processes.

A highlight of the summit was a visit to TEF Smart CitiCom AI — one of the TEF Smart CitiCom AI centres. Participants were introduced to the capabilities of European test and experimental infrastructures used for developing and testing AI solutions. For EDIH Kyiv HiTech, this area holds great promise in terms of providing Ukrainian developers with access to such tools and platforms.

One of the key outcomes of the summit was the consolidation of Ukrainian EDIHs. Working together with colleagues from other hubs enabled us to agree on approaches to participating in the European Frontiers initiative and to identify areas for further cooperation. Such coordination is vital for establishing a unified Ukrainian position within the European innovation ecosystem and for developing shared services for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Participation in the summit laid the practical groundwork for further work: the development of joint services with European partners, expanding access for Ukrainian SMEs to EU infrastructure, and supporting the implementation of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.

EDIH Kyiv HiTech would like to thank the GIZ Ukraine team for organising our participation in the event and for supporting Ukrainian hubs in the process of European digital integration.