‘Diia.Business’ Center opened in Dnipro: USUST among the partners

On 2 December 2025, the ‘Diia.Business’ Entrepreneurship Support Center officially  was opened in Dnipro. It is a modern space designed to foster the development of small and medium-sized businesses, professional education, networking, and the implementation of digital solutions in the region. The opening became possible due to the cooperation of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the Diia.Business center network, UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group, Mercy Corps, and partners from the local business community.
 
The event combined an in-person format with online participation from top government officials. The participants were greeted online by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov, Adviser to the Minister of Digital Transformation Valeriia Ionan, and Acting Director of the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development Oleksii Hrushevskyi. They emphasized that the opening of the new center is an important step for economic recovery and for supporting business in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
 
Key partners of the initiative were present at the opening in person. Welcome remarks were delivered by Laurent Dupouy, Chairman of the Management Board of UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group; Nadiia Yudaieva, Head of Mercy Corps Ukraine Programme; and Serhii Kholod, Rector of Alfred Nobel University. The regional authorities were represented by the Deputy Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council.
 
The first part of the event concluded with a speech by Viktoriia Sokolova, Head of the “Diia.Business” Center in Dnipro, who outlined the mission and strategic objectives of the new space.
 
As part of the opening programme, two Open Talk discussions were held.
 
Panel Discussion ‘Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Education’
Participants included:
  • Olha Mazur, Head of M-Consult 2023 LLC;
  • Daria Bukreeva, Vice-rector for Perspective Development, Dnipro Polytechnic National Technical University;
  • Dina Sidash, Vice President of the Dnipropetrovsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
  • Olha Tsvihun, Co-founder of the Logos Educational Holding;
  • Ruslan Shamrin, Head of the ‘Diia.Business’ Center in Kryvyi Rih.
    The participants discussed the role of education and innovation in the development of the regional business ecosystem.
Panel Discussion ‘Digital Transformation, eCommerce and Growth Tools for SMEs’
Speakers included:
  • Olha Meteliova, Head of the Regional Office of UKRSIBBANK;
  • Andrii Zatserklianyi, CEO & Co-Founder of TechSolutions;
  • Oleksandr Miliutin, Director of Internet Marketing Technologies LLC;
  • Alina Shcherbyna, CEO of the PR agency ‘Great Stories’ and managing partner of LEAD Business Club.
Experts shared practical cases in eCommerce, business process automation, and the role of digital tools in fostering entrepreneurial growth.
 
The Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies joined the event as a partner that consistently promotes innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. USUST was represented by Vladyslav Danishevskyy, Director of the SEI ‘PSACEA’, USUST, and Olha Lytvynenko, Head of the Educational and Research Center for International Scientific and Educational Projects and Programmes.
 
For USUST, this event is especially significant, as the university actively implements initiatives that strengthen the city business ecosystem. In 2025, for example, STS-Engineering, a company that emerged from USUST research,  became a winner of the city microgrant competition.
 
The ‘Diia.Business’ Center in Dnipro will become a platform where entrepreneurs can get consultations, educational programmes, and expert support, while young people will gain opportunities for professional growth, startup development, and the implementation of innovative projects.
 
USUST’s cooperation with the new center is another step toward creating a modern educational and innovation environment in the region and creating new opportunities for students and researchers.