First meta-conference on FOOD and innovations in Ukraine: START IN FOODTECH
Kyiv, 04.08.2023 – The first meta-conference “START IN FOODTECH”, held online in the Party Space meta-universe on Friday. The conference became an important event for the Ukrainian food industry, where key trends and innovative solutions in the field of food technology were discussed.
Starting with the introduction, the conference brought together prominent guests who started the discussion on important issues in the food industry:
- Pavlo Kartashov, Director of the Ukrainian Startup Fund, shared insights and approaches to supporting food technology startups.
- Manal Al-Hammadi, Ecosystem Lead at EIT Health InnoStars, presented approaches to building innovative ecosystems in healthcare and food technology.
- Piotr Nawrocki, Project Coordinator at EIT Food Government Executive Academy, spoke about training initiatives for food technology leaders.
- Kateryna Degtyar, Program Director at Vacu2m and Director of Startup Grind Kyiv, shared her experience in supporting and developing food startups.
In addition, the conference covered various aspects of the food technology industry, including:
- Success stories of Ukrainian FOOD products, with well-known entrepreneurs sharing their experience in building successful brands and conquering the global market.
- FOOD trends in the US and Europe, that were presented by world-famous experts who shared their discoveries and best practices.
- Support programs for FOOD entrepreneurs in Ukraine, discussed with government officials and industry experts.
Among the prominent speakers of the conference were:
Panel 1. Stories of Ukrainian food startups
- Svitlana Kotenko, co-founder of icefood, Babusyna Torbynka, FoodEx, and a member of the Forbes NEXT 250 list, spoke about her path to success and important steps in creating a business.
- Andriy Yevtushenko, co-founder of Ineo products, presented innovative organic food products that meet modern consumer requirements.
- Tamila Vashchuk, co-founder of Vmasli and Vareniy, shared her experience of creating a new generation of dumplings and how to make a culinary revolution.
Panel 2. Global FoodTech trends: Does the consumer really want to buy craft and organic products?
Sergey Wenger, founder of Wenger Consulting (Chicago), spoke about marketing strategies in international markets.
Startups from EIT Food also shared their experience in the European market:
- Selcuk Ugurlu, startup ChemCode, which has developed specific receptors for biosensors.
- Polina Kravtsova and Bohdan Vorobyov, startup OptySun filters, presented a technology for water purification and disinfection.
- Miron Marczuk and Łukasz Kopiński, startup Ribes Technologies, spoke about the automation of berry plantations.
Panel 3. Overview of support programs for food startups.
- Olga Pelekh, project manager at EIT Food Seedbed Incubator, highlighted opportunities for startups in the food sector.
- Anna Milenina, Advisor to the Director of the State Institution Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development, spoke about grant support for entrepreneurs in the field of food technology.
- Olena Lutsenko, coordinator of the Fit for Partnership with Germany Program for managers, presented cooperation opportunities with Germany.
View the recording of the event here
InterHEI Food and Health Innovations Ukraine is implemented by Lviv Polytechnic National University Science Park, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv Science Park and Vacuum Deep Tech Accelerator in partnership with the Ukrainian Startup Fund, Lviv Polytechnic National University and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
