On September 11, 2026, the North-Eastern Regional Engineering and Research Cluster was established at the National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute” (KhAI). It is becoming the next link in the All-Ukrainian Program “Engineering Future of Ukraine,” designed to establish a continuous system for developing engineering talent—from an interest in technology at school to acquiring an advanced university education and working professionally in high-tech industry.
An Agreement on the establishment of the North-Eastern Regional Engineering and Research Cluster was signed in Kharkiv. Academic science, technical universities, the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, industrial enterprises, and philanthropists are joining the cooperation. Their shared task is to help young people enter the engineering profession, master modern technologies, and find opportunities to realize their abilities in Ukraine.
The Kharkiv initiative continues the practical implementation of the All-Ukrainian Program “Engineering Future of Ukraine” (Future of Ukraine: Engineering Renaissance). Its first regional hub—the Prydniprovsk-East Engineering and Industrial Center—was established on June 22, 2026, at the National Technical University “Dnipro Polytechnic.” The next steps are to establish similar centers in the west of the country, based at Lviv universities and research institutions, and in central Ukraine, based at Kyiv educational and research institutions. This network of interconnected centers is intended to become a new national system for the reproduction of engineering human capital, the principal resource for the country’s post-war revival, in accordance with the standards and requirements of high-tech industry.
Within this network, each region will draw on its own scientific schools and industrial specialization. Such cooperation is particularly significant for Kharkiv. The combination of university education, academic research, and high-tech manufacturing defines its engineering tradition. Today, the task is to preserve the continuity of scientific and engineering design schools and create conditions for the younger generation to enter the profession. Laboratories, research teams, and industrial projects developed jointly with research institutions and employers are intended to become practical settings for this interaction.
At the first stage of the North-Eastern Regional Engineering and Research Cluster’s activities, its university partners include KhAI, the National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute,” Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, O. M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv, Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University, and the Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport. This composition makes it possible to combine the training of specialists for aviation, mechanical engineering, electronics, transport, and urban infrastructure. The Cluster remains open to further expansion of its partnership network.
High-tech business is represented in the signed agreements of the Prydniprovsk-East Engineering and Industrial Center and the newly established North-Eastern Regional Engineering and Research Cluster by Progresstech-Ukraine, a company specializing in aviation engineering and a strategic partner of one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers—Boeing. The Saint Volodymyr Charitable Foundation is undertaking support for the All-Ukrainian Program “Engineering Future of Ukraine,” resource mobilization, and assistance with its implementation in these regions.
Scientific and methodological coordination is assigned to the North-Eastern Scientific Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Its participation is intended to ensure the involvement of academic institutions in joint research, expert support, and the implementation of scientific results. As the host university, KhAI will facilitate interaction among the region’s higher education institutions and the development of joint engineering laboratories, dual education programs, and summer engineering schools.
The role of the National Center “Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine” is associated with the early identification and support of talented school students. At this stage, plans include developing STEM education, which combines natural sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Engineering competitions, olympiads, festivals, and hackathons are intended to help identify abilities and sustain interest in technology. Further work envisages advanced training, summer schools, educational research, and access to laboratories. Vocational and professional pre-higher education institutions will also be involved in this interaction.
The program of the Kharkiv meeting included the opening of the event and an outline of the strategic prospects for the region’s further development by Academician Volodymyr Semynozhenko, a presentation of the All-Ukrainian Program “Engineering Future of Ukraine” by Academician Mykhailo Zgurovsky, and a report by Oleh Uruskyi, Director of Progresstech-Ukraine, on the company’s activities in cooperation with Boeing and the organization of dual education. The event was moderated and its conclusions presented by KhAI Rector Oleksii Lytvynov. The combination of these topics reflected the Cluster’s central idea: to align a long-term model of engineering training with the specific capabilities of the region’s general secondary schools, universities, and high-tech enterprises.
This model is based on the sequence “School → University → Engineering and Research Cluster → High-Tech Industry.” Behind this formula lies a clear educational pathway. School students have the opportunity to try their hand at creative engineering activities, university students—to work on real technical tasks for a high-tech company, and graduates—to enter a professional environment with which they are already familiar through specialized training, practical experience, and mentoring.
At the universities participating in the Cluster, dual education will become a key mechanism—a coordinated combination of fundamental studies and practical training at enterprises. Employers will contribute to the development of educational programs, the formulation of professional requirements, and the setting of engineering tasks. Students will be able to undertake practical placements and internships, work with mentors, and participate in research and engineering design projects. Separate provision is made for the professional development of university teaching staff from the Prydniprovsk-East and North-Eastern regions, which will begin shortly at Progresstech-Ukraine, since updating engineering education requires their continuous connection with modern manufacturing.
The effectiveness of such cooperation will be determined by how many young people progress from an interest in engineering to mastering the profession and working in their field. The concept of the All-Ukrainian Program “Engineering Future of Ukraine” provides for assessing school students’ participation in STEM training, enrollment in engineering degree programs, completion of dual education, employment in high-tech industry, and young people’s participation in innovative projects. These results are intended to show which educational and partnership mechanisms work and what requires improvement.
The concept of the reproduction of engineering human capital also encompasses lifelong professional development. Experienced specialists update their knowledge, master new technologies, and pass on their experience to younger colleagues. Such continuity enables engineering schools to develop and the country to build its own technological capacity.
Potential industrial partners of the North-Eastern Regional Engineering and Research Cluster include JSC “Ukrainian Energy Machines,” JSC “Svitlo Shakhtaria,” the State Scientific and Production Enterprise “Komunar Corporation,” PJSC “Pivdenkabel Plant,” and the Kharkiv State Aircraft Manufacturing Company. Their participation is intended to help connect educational content with the practical needs of industry and facilitate graduate employment.
The Cluster’s technological priorities encompass aviation and space technology, unmanned aircraft systems, and defense technologies. Other interrelated areas include artificial intelligence, robotics, electronics, cybersecurity, and digital mechanical engineering. Work on new structural materials, additive technologies, and intelligent manufacturing systems is also envisaged. Cooperation among universities with different specializations and research institutions provides a foundation for interdisciplinary teams capable of carrying out complex engineering tasks. Support for research by young people and for startups is intended to help bring promising ideas into practical application.
According to Academician Volodymyr Semynozhenko, a Head of the North-Eastern Scientific Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, a Coordination Council and a working group have been formed to prepare the Cluster’s action program. This program will be submitted for discussion with the regional leadership. The next stage envisages the broad involvement of secondary and vocational education institutions, universities, and enterprises in Kharkiv and the North-Eastern region.
The opening of the Kharkiv Cluster brings this concept closer to practical implementation. For its post-war revival, Ukraine needs people capable of designing energy systems, restoring transport infrastructure, developing defense technologies, and establishing competitive manufacturing operations. Their professional development takes years. Therefore, building a network of engineering centers today contributes to Ukraine’s ability to sustain its own development and offer young people the prospect of a professional future at home.
Source: SVIT