On July 9 – USUBC, Mercy Corps Ukraine, Diia City Union and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine co-hosted the Roundtable Reception on Smart Investment and Partnerships in Ukraine’s Agro Sector: Driving Growth Through AI & Technology. This event, moderated by Irina Paliashvili, USUBC President & CEO, gathered stakeholders from across the U.S. and Ukraine’s agriculture, technology, donor and investment stakeholders.
The event began with keynote remarks by Vitalii Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, who emphasized the urgency and potential of rebuilding Ukraine’s agro sector through innovation and global partnerships. He was joined by a distinguished panel including Vicki Aken, Ukraine Response Director at Mercy Corps, Mykhailo Bno-Airiian, Chairman of the European Integration Committee at the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Valeria Kushnerchuk, CEO of Diia City Union and Taras Kytsmey, Member of the Board at SoftServe.
The Roundtable focused on two major themes: on collaborative frameworks between business, government and international organizations to support the reconstruction and long-term growth of Ukraine’s agro sector, and on identifying high-impact areas for private investment and international engagement, with a focus on emerging technologies such as precision farming, remote sensing, supply chain digitization, and agro-fintech – all offering scalable and sustainable solutions for the sector’s future. Speakers and the discussion participants explored how Ukraine’s IT capabilities – including precision farming, supply chain digitization and agro-fintech solutions – can drive resilience, modernization and sustainable growth in this sector.
With active participation from USUBC Members in agriculture and tech, as well as donors and senior government representatives, the Roundtable offered a robust platform to foster new collaborations, and underscored the importance of integrating digital infrastructure and innovation into Ukraine’s recovery agenda and spotlighted the country’s role as a future leader in smart agriculture.
