Kyiv, 23 September 2026 — As Ukraine looks toward its post-war future, government officials, business leaders, and international partners gathered today for the “SME Ukraine 2035” forum to chart a new course for the country’s entrepreneurial economy. 

Hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and Switzerland, the event in Kyiv marked the launch of a foresight study outlining how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can transition from crisis management to productivity-driven growth over the next decade.

The Coalition of Business Communities for the Modernisation of Ukraine also took part in organising the forum as one of its key partners.

A central part of the forum was the presentation of the foresight study “Ukraine 2035: A Vision for SMEs in a Competitive Entrepreneurial Economy”. It set out the conditions needed to transition from an economy largely focused on responding to the consequences of the war to a model in which growth relies increasingly on productivity, private investment, and enterprise development.

Key themes included the predictability of the regulatory environment, businesses’ access to finance, human capital development, integration into European and global markets, and higher SME productivity. Participants also discussed how to create the conditions in which enterprises can plan several years ahead, invest, and scale up.

“Business development is the foundation of Ukraine’s economic recovery and long-term resilience,” said Sergii Marchenko, Minister of Finance of Ukraine. “The role of the Ministry of Finance is to ensure predictable and equal conditions in which businesses can compete, invest and grow. This means fair rules for everyone, access to finance, transparent administration. Our goal is to build an environment where responsible businesses can fully realise their potential and drive Ukraine’s recovery.”

Participants discussed how to translate this vision into practical solutions during the “From Vision to Action: Government–Business Partnership for Ukraine’s Economic Growth” panel. The discussion centred on the predictability of economic policy, support for exports, the adaptation of Ukrainian companies to the requirements of the EU single market, and mechanisms for business participation in shaping government decisions.

Particular attention was paid to the shift from ad hoc consultations to a systematic public-private dialogue, in which business membership organisations can form consolidated positions and the state can take them into account when developing economic decisions.

“Switzerland welcomes Ukraine’s efforts to strengthen institutionalized dialogue between the government and the business community,” said Heidi Grau, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. “Today’s event can further help identify shared priorities and structured ways of working together. Switzerland stands ready to continue supporting this work. Ukraine’s entrepreneurs have already shown extraordinary resilience and resolve, and Switzerland is proud to stand alongside them.”

For UNDP, a stronger dialogue between the state and business has a practical aim – to help create the conditions in which Ukraine’s economic recovery relies increasingly on private initiative, investment, and the development of Ukrainian enterprises.

“Ukraine’s long-term recovery rests on a competitive economy powered by private initiative and investment,” said Auke Lootsma, Resident Representative of UNDP in Ukraine. “Micro, small, and medium enterprises sit at the heart of that future.” 

Also taking part in the discussion were representatives of the Alliance of MSME Business Membership Organisations, which brings together business networks, platforms, and coalitions and serves as a common platform for presenting businesses’ positions in dialogue with the state. The development of this capacity has been supported for several years by Switzerland, in partnership with UNDP.

“For business, it matters that its voice is heard not episodically but systematically,” said Nataliia Zabrudska, Ambassador of the Alliance of MSME Business Membership Organizations. “The Alliance gives membership organisations a common platform to align their positions and to speak to the state on behalf of thousands of enterprises. For us, the 2035 vision is not a document but a reference point, in the shaping and delivery of which business is ready to take a direct part.”

The substantive part of the forum concluded with the Aspen Dialogue “Ukraine 2035: A Strategic Choice for the Entrepreneurial Future”. Participants discussed how to reconcile the short-term needs of the war economy and recovery with a long-term policy oriented towards private investment, enterprise development, and Ukraine’s competitiveness.

While 2035 is nine years away, the regulatory and economic foundations governing Ukrainian businesses are being built today. By anchoring economic policy in an active, institutionalised dialogue between the state and private enterprise, Ukraine is laying the groundwork for a resilient, globally competitive entrepreneurial economy.

Media enquiries: Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications and Advocacy; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org

Flickr album: