Project title: Boosting Ukrainian and EU Digital SMEs Towards Industry 5.0

Project acronym: UA_EU_CLUSTER5.0

Project ID: 101195937

Project duration: 01 February 2025 – 30 September 2026

Program: Single Market Programme (SMP)

Project objective: Digital Cluster can play a pivotal role in supporting the integration of Industry5.0 paradigms. The role played by clusters could be pivotal and relevant in building resilience within our existing economy and transforming it into a new set of economic ecosystems that are more resilient to future shocks and stresses. Digital technologies are a key pillar of development strategies and will play an essential role in the future years, both for what concerns reconstruction in Ukraine and in strengthening infrastructure, growth and democratic values in the whole Eastern Neighbourhood.

The UA_EU_CLUSTER5.0 – Boosting UA and EU Digital SMEs Towards 5.0 Industry Paradigms, aims at creating a Cluster Partnership among Digital Clusters in Ukraine, Portugal and Italy, focused on strengthening the Ukrainian technological, innovative and digital sectors following the Industry5.0 paradigms, towards a more resilient and sustainable society, facilitating an effective, fruitful entrance into the EU Markets through:

• – the intensification of the collaboration across regions and sectors through the development and reinforcement of value chains, aninterlinkages between Italian, Portuguese and Ukrainian companies (networking, cross-border cooperation).
• – fostering the cluster capacity-building and the professionalisation of support for both EU and Ukrainian SMEs digital technologies enabling the twin transition towards Industry5.0.
• – the combination of resources and knowledge with the goal of working together on joint strategies and carrying out activities in the interest of their SMEs clusters’ members,
• – boosting the economic growth of Ukrainian SMEs and supporting their access and integration into the EU Market,
• – leveraging the collaborations among EU and UA SMEs in the field of  digital technologies enabling to the twin transition towards Industry5.0,
• – supporting the adoption of policies from the UA and EU policymakers of strategies to support the integration of UA SMEs.

Project description: UA_EU_CLUSTER5.0 aims to build strategic partnerships among digital clusters in Ukraine, Portugal and Italy and strengthen SME’s technological and digital capabilities and foster integration into the EU market under Industry 5.0 paradigms. As a new vision for industry, Industry 5.0 focuses on putting people and the planet at the heart of innovation, ensuring that technological progress serves sustainability and societal resilience. This project supports that vision by empowering SMEs—particularly in Ukraine—as key drivers of inclusive growth, cross-border cooperation, and long-term recovery within the EU innovation space.

The UA_EU_CLUSTER5.0 project transforms its vision into tangible results through targeted actions. These four pillars shape our roadmap and help build a resilient, innovative, and globally integrated digital economy.

Project Coordinator:

X23 – The Innovation Bakery (Italy). X23 is a business support organization based in Milan and Bergamo, bringing over 25 years of private sector expertise in supporting entrepreneurs, established businesses, and corporates.

 Project partners:

• Chernihiv IT Cluster (Ukraine) is a professional community that unites technology companies in the Chernihiv region to foster joint development and knowledge exchange and strengthen the local IT industry.
• Associacao Parque De Ciencia E Tecnologia De Almada/Setubal-Madan Parque (Portugal) runs a technology-based incubator, which plays a critical role for its tenant companies (New Entrepreneurs, start-ups, and former start-ups in the process of acceleration), providing a diversified set of incubation services targeted to the needs of our tenants.
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chernihiv (Ukraine) is the largest business association in the Chernihiv region, supporting entrepreneurship, competitiveness, and international business integration.
• Associazione Fabbrica Intelligente Lombardia (Italy) is the technological cluster for advanced manufacturing in the Lombardy Region. It is an ecosystem that brings together all types of stakeholders from the regional manufacturing sector, such as companies of all dimensions, research centers, universities, and industrial associations. It promotes research and innovation in the field of advanced and sustainable manufacturing.
• International Cluster of Innovations and Creative Industries (Ukraine) is a newly established organization created by Ukrainian business consultancy and support organizations to help UA and the EU companies engaged in innovative activities and startup development and build an innovation ecosystem that will unite innovation technologies in manufacturing, deep tech, and creative industries (such as art, design, and textile companies).
• University of Bergamo (Italy) – over the years, the university’s research group developed competencies in the industrial transformation and sustainability field through industrial projects and PhD research aimed at measuring and minimizing the sustainability aspects related to industrial offerings.

Associated Partners:

• Chernihiv Polytechnic National University (Ukraine) contributes expertise in digital technologies, engineering education, and skills development aligned with Industry 5.0.
• Regional Development Agency of Chernihiv Region (Ukraine) supports local economic growth through public-private collaboration, capacity-building, and EU integration initiatives.
• The innovation and knowledge transfer unit of NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal). NOVA ID, promotes academic-industry collaboration, entrepreneurship, and international research partnerships.
• Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (Ukraine) facilitates business diplomacy, global market access, and private sector engagement with international networks.

Links:

https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/projects-details/43252476/101195937

https://www.ua-eu-cluster-partnership.eu/

https://www.facebook.com/uaeucluster5/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ua-eu-cluster-5-0/

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.