CRDF Global Assists Ukrainian Innovators in Entrepreneurial Mentorship

CRDF Global, Kyiv, Ukraine,
Fri, July 31, 2015

Under the Kharkiv Innovation Platform (KIP) program inUkraine, CRDF Global supported the participation of 40 Ukrainian tech transferexperts to the six-week online Train-the-Trainer* (TtT) learning session inUkraine. The program’s objectives were to rebuild entrepreneurship ecosystemsand develop indigenous technology commercialization capacity across all regionsof Ukraine by bringing together scientists and researchers from various partsof Ukraine, including the war-torn regions of Luhansk and Donetsk. 

Program participants, who represented a wide range ofUkrainian research institutions affiliated with the National Academy ofSciences of Ukraine, higher education institutions, research centers,and regional governments, dove into self-paced online study, guided bydistance mentoring enhanced by topic-specific webinars with subject matterexperts. As a result of this training, participants enhanced their knowledge oftechnology commercialization and best practices, as well as developed theskills necessary to apply that knowledge in assisting emerging entrepreneurs intheir organizations and communities identify market opportunities, buildcompanies and take them to market.
  

Throughthis program, CRDF Global engaged successful serial entrepreneurs, early stageinvestors and technology commercialization experts from the U.S. and Ukraine toshare their international and local experience through webinars, and onlinementoring. Upon conclusion of the online training session, seven of the 40graduates were competitively selected to be engaged as online mentors duringthe subsequent Commercialization Pathfinder program and an onsite Bootcamp inKyiv to be held in October 2015 in conjunction with the Sikorsky Challengeinnovation forum.


All TtT graduates became members of the KIP platforms and social networkinggroups on Facebook and LinkedIn which will give them exposure to resources,peers mentoring and business opportunities. Iryna Afonina of Lugansk, one ofgraduates of 2015 TtT program, who was also invited as a mentor for futureUkraine trainings, mentioned that “the most useful experience was systematicapproach to business valuing suggested by the course. Participation is reallyworthwhile, this is because it gives opportunity to see the inter-linkagesbetween different elements of a business model. That was reallyvaluable”. 


Participating Institutions

The Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Usikov Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics
The Institute of Technical Mechanics
The State Space Agency of Ukraine
The National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Ukrainian Scientific and Technical Center of Metallurgical Industry"Energostal" 
G. M. Dobrov Center for Studying R&D Potential and Science History 

*The online “Train-the-Trainer” (TtT) learning sessionwas developed through a partnership with the Center “Kharkiv Technologies” andthe Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, as a part of CRDF Global’sKharkiv Innovation Platform (KIP) program, funded by U.S. Department of State. 

About CRDF Global

CRDF Global is an independent,nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for scientists and innovatorsto make the world a better place. Established in 1995 to promote internationalscientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources,training, and services, CRDF Global specializes in bringing isolated scientificcommunities into the global scientific mainstream. CRDF Global has 20 years ofexperience managing international research funding programs and supportingemerging science and technology infrastructure in more than 40 countries aroundthe world.

Learn more or donate to the CRDF Global's EmergencyFund for Ukraine’s Scientists and Innovators. 

For more details, please contact ukraine@crdfglobal.org