The first regional engineering and industrial center of the All-Ukrainian Program for training engineering talent for Ukraine’s high-tech economy has been established in Dnipro
On June 22, 2026, the National Technical University “Dnipro Polytechnic” hosted an event that may become an important milestone in shaping Ukraine’s future human capital and technological development policy. On that day, a Strategic Cooperation Agreement was signed to establish the Prydniprovsk-East Engineering and Industrial Center of the All-Ukrainian Program “Future of Ukraine: Engineering Renaissance.”
The Agreement was signed by four partners: the National Technical University “Dnipro Polytechnic,” Progresstech-Ukraine LLC, the National Center “Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,” and the Saint Volodymyr Foundation. The opening of this center marks the practical launch of a large-scale All-Ukrainian Program designed to create a new model for engineering talent development for Ukraine’s high-tech economy.
The signing ceremony was attended by Ivan Nachovnyi, Deputy Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration; Academician Hennadii Pivniak, Chairman of the Academic Council of Dnipro Polytechnic; Acting Rector Artem Pavlychenko; Vice-Rector for Research Ihor Nikitenko; Oleh Uruskyi, Director of Progresstech-Ukraine; Mykhailo Zgurovsky, Director of the Saint Volodymyr Foundation; Stanislav Dovhyi, President of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; as well as rectors of seven Ukrainian universities.
Why Does Ukraine Need a New Engineering Strategy?
In today’s world, economic competitiveness is increasingly determined not by natural resources but by the quality of human capital. Countries compete for talented engineers, researchers, developers, and technology entrepreneurs. For Ukraine, this issue has become particularly important in the context of the ongoing war and the country’s future reconstruction.
It is engineers who will create new industries, rebuild infrastructure, develop defense technologies, modern energy systems, digital solutions, and advanced manufacturing facilities. The technological capacity of the country will largely determine the pace of recovery, economic competitiveness, and national security in the coming decades.
At the same time, Ukraine faces several serious challenges: declining interest among young people in engineering careers, a shortage of highly qualified engineers, an aging engineering workforce, the migration of talented youth abroad, and insufficient integration between education and the real needs of modern industry.
Particularly alarming are forecasts regarding future workforce demand. According to current estimates, Ukraine’s high-tech sectors will require approximately 100,000–120,000 new engineers by 2035. The greatest demand is expected in the defense industry, mechanical engineering, energy systems, digital technologies, aerospace engineering, and advanced manufacturing.
The All-Ukrainian Program “Future of Ukraine: Engineering Renaissance” was created as a response to these challenges. Its primary objective is to establish a Ukraine-wide system for identifying, selecting, educating, and employing a new generation of engineers capable of supporting a competitive, innovation-driven economy.
From Fragmented Initiatives to a Unified Ukraine-Wide System
The concept of the program is based on a fundamentally new approach to engineering human capital development. Instead of the traditional pathway of “school → university → job search,” it proposes a continuous development chain:
“School → University → Engineering Center → High-Tech Industry.”
Within this model, future employers become active participants in the educational process from the earliest stages of a young engineer’s development. The program includes engineering olympiads, competitions, festivals, and hackathons; systematic talent identification through the network of the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; specialized advanced training programs for school and university students; dual education models; and direct involvement of young people in real engineering projects.
The key industrial partner is Progresstech-Ukraine, a company with many years of experience in the global engineering services market and participation in projects implemented according to Boeing standards. Consequently, the program focuses not only on academic education but also on international engineering standards, advanced digital technologies, CAD/CAE/PLM systems, and practical experience gained through real industrial projects.
Dnipro: The First Regional Center of the Program
According to the program concept, a network of regional engineering centers will be established across four macro-regions of Ukraine. The first of these is the Prydniprovsk-East Engineering and Industrial Center, created at Dnipro Polytechnic.
The choice of Dnipro is both strategic and natural. The Prydniprovsk region has traditionally been one of Ukraine’s strongest industrial centers, with significant concentrations of mechanical engineering, metallurgy, energy production, defense industries, aerospace technologies, and advanced engineering companies. The region also possesses a strong university ecosystem, a developed scientific base, and substantial industrial potential.
The new center will focus on mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, mining technologies, energy systems, transport engineering, defense engineering, industrial automation, and digital design. Particular attention will be devoted to workforce development for infrastructure reconstruction and the growth of high-tech industries.
Aerospace engineering has been selected as the pilot specialization of the center. This choice reflects the sector’s growing demand for highly qualified engineers and its requirement for training that meets the highest international standards of quality and safety.
The Role of the University and Its Partners
Under the signed Agreement, Dnipro Polytechnic will provide organizational support for the center, educational and laboratory infrastructure, coordination of dual education programs, and academic supervision of engineering training activities. The university will also serve as a platform for cooperation among government authorities, educational institutions, industry partners, and civil society organizations.
The Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine will be responsible for the systematic identification and support of talented young people and for organizing engineering competitions and olympiads. Progresstech-Ukraine will participate at every stage of engineering talent development—from identifying promising students and providing advanced training through dual education models to supporting internships and future employment opportunities. The Saint Volodymyr Foundation will coordinate the overall program, expand the partnership network, and facilitate the attraction of additional resources necessary for its implementation.
An Investment in Ukraine’s Future
The significance of the All-Ukrainian Program “Future of Ukraine: Engineering Renaissance” extends far beyond a single educational initiative. In essence, it represents the creation of a new system for reproducing and developing engineering human capital—one of the most important resources for Ukraine’s post-war recovery and long-term development.
If the twentieth century shaped Ukraine as an industrial nation, then the twenty-first century will determine whether it becomes a country capable of creating its own technologies, retaining talented young people, and transforming knowledge into innovation and economic growth.
For this reason, the opening of the Prydniprovsk-East Engineering and Industrial Center is not only an important regional event but also a symbolic beginning of a long-term All-Ukrainian Program designed to educate the engineers who will build Ukraine’s future.
Throughout history, engineers have been the architects of civilizational change. Today, Ukraine’s future prosperity will depend significantly on their knowledge, talent, and professional expertise. The question is whether post-war Ukraine will remain primarily a supplier of raw materials or emerge as a nation of high technologies, innovation, and globally competitive industries.
The All-Ukrainian Program “Future of Ukraine: Engineering Renaissance” aims to ensure that the latter vision becomes a reality.
Larysa Ostrolutska