Polish‑Ukrainian Science & Technology Forum

On behalf of the Polish Academy of Sciences – Representative Office in Kyiv, the Cooperation Fund Foundation and the CEE Startup Bridge Foundation, we are pleased to invite candidates to apply for participation in the Polish‑Ukrainian Science & Technology Forum – a week‑long study visit and networking programme for Ukrainian researchers and R&D leaders, which will take place in Warsaw on 7–11 September 2026.

The Forum is intended to become a platform for joint work of the Polish and Ukrainian scientific communities, exchange of experience and the launch of joint research and innovation projects with priority given to critical sectors (STEM and STEP-related technologies), including energy, healthcare, digital infrastructure and other deep‑tech areas.

Programme and content

The programme combines visits to leading Polish research institutes and laboratories with intensive trainings and workshops, including in particular:

• an overview of the Polish science and innovation system (“Polish Research Landscape – who is who”);
• presentations of participants and their research projects;
• trainings on the commercialisation of research results and technology transfer in Poland;
• a practical training on the preparation, implementation and reporting of EU grant proposals (e.g. Horizon Europe);
• a two‑part training on science–business cooperation and building long‑term partnerships with business;
• a session on the use of artificial intelligence in scientific research;
• a workshop on effective communication of research results and working with the media.

Over five working days, participants will take part in common lectures, practical trainings and presentations together with Polish colleagues, with a strong emphasis on team‑based collaboration and the formation of joint Polish‑Ukrainian research groups.

The visit will conclude with a final conference and networking session on 11 September, during which potential next steps for joint projects will be discussed.

Target group

We invite nominations of:

• leaders of research groups in science and technology;
• researchers and project managers from universities, research institutes and R&D units;
• (preferably) founders and heads of R&D units in deep‑tech companies.

The programme is primarily aimed at:

• teams and projects at pre‑seed and seed stages in high‑tech fields;
• researchers and experts working on technologies for critical infrastructure (energy, healthcare, digital infrastructure, etc.).

We plan to select up to 24 participants from Ukraine and Poland.

Practical information

For selected Ukrainian participants, the organisers fully cover the costs of:

• accommodation during the Forum (provided by the organisers only to participants from Ukraine),
• transport to, in and from Poland (participants have to purchase tickets to and from Poland by themselves, amount of up to 9 000 UAH for both ways will refunded after the event to the bank account, tickets for local transport will be provided by the organisers, only for participants from Ukraine),
• meals on the days of the official programme,
• participation in all trainings, visits and networking events.

The working language of the Forum is English.

Selected participants will receive individual invitations with detailed information on travel arrangements and official invitation letters (if required).

Registration

• online form for participants from Poland
• online form for participants from Ukraine

Organisers and contact

The Polish‑Ukrainian Science & Technology Forum is organised by:

• the Polish Academy of Sciences – Representative Office in Kyiv,
• the Cooperation Fund Foundation,
• the CEE Startup Bridge Foundation.

For questions about the programme or the application procedure, please contact:

scienceforum2026@startup-bridge.eu and mateusz.bialas@pan.pl (please use both emails)

The event is supported by the Mieroszewski Centre within the IV Open Competition