On August 11, 2026, a working meeting was held in Kyiv dedicated to summarizing the results of the second stage and presenting the third level of the territorial community capacity development model in spatial planning, as well as a new practical tool, Living Lab.

Rector of Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, Oleh Novomlynets, took part in the meeting

The meeting took place at the initiative of the Office of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, which presented a new format of cooperation between territorial communities and universities. Its goal is to align the practical needs of communities with the scientific and educational potential of higher education institutions. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, particularly regarding the creation of a network of partner universities.

The previous stage of the program covered 24 regions of Ukraine. During field express training sessions, community representatives worked alongside specialists on specific issues of spatial planning, the use of geospatial data, and ensuring energy security.

The next stage involves hands-on interaction: communities will define specific tasks, while universities will involve lecturers, researchers, postgraduate students, and students to address them. This will allow the results of scientific research, student thesis works, and other developments to be applied directly to the development and recovery of territories.

For the Chernihiv region and Chernihiv Polytechnic National University, such cooperation opens up the opportunity to unite education, science, and the real needs of territorial communities, strengthen the practical component of student training, and direct the university’s scientific potential toward addressing urgent community development tasks and the recovery of Ukraine.