What Was Announced
Sweden—alongside several international partners—formally co-founded the Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome. The declaration commits signatories to expand joint research projects, deepen Ukraine’s integration with EU research programmes, and channel lasting investment into the country’s scientific ecosystem.
“Supporting Ukrainian scientists is a clear signal of our unwavering stance. EU research cooperation will be even stronger as Ukraine moves closer to us.”
— Mats Persson, Swedish Minister for Higher Education & Research
Strategic Goals of the Coalition
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Sustain Ukrainian research capacity through mobility grants, lab-to-lab partnerships and digital infrastructure.
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Boost innovation pipelines in critical technologies—energy storage, cyber-security, agritech, med-tech.
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Fast-track EU integration by aligning Ukrainian universities and institutes with Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ frameworks.
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Foster private-sector R&D investment via joint incubators and technology-transfer offices.
Why Science Funding Equals Security
| Benefit to Ukraine | Benefit to the EU |
|---|---|
| Retains top talent and prevents brain drain | Adds high-calibre partners to European research consortia |
| Accelerates dual-use tech vital for defence and resilience | Strengthens EU innovation value chains in critical fields |
| Cultivates a knowledge-driven post-war economy | Creates new commercial markets for EU firms |
Key Mechanisms in the Declaration
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Joint Calls for Proposals led by Swedish and EU research councils
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Co-funded Mobility Stipends for Ukrainian PhD candidates and post-docs
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Shared Research Infrastructure—remote access to supercomputers, synchrotrons and bio-banks
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Innovation Vouchers for Ukrainian SMEs to partner with Nordic tech clusters
How This Fits into the Broader Recovery Roadmap
| Parallel Initiative | Connection to R&D Coalition |
|---|---|
| EU Flagship Recovery Fund (€2.3 bn latest tranche) | Offers blended finance for lab modernisation and tech-park build-outs |
| G7 ERA Facility (loan guarantees backed by frozen Russian assets) | Can underwrite venture-capital funds targeting Ukrainian deep-tech startups |
| Marshall-Plan-style Coalition proposed by President Zelenskyy | Positions science and innovation as cross-cutting pillars alongside energy and infrastructure |
Next Steps & Milestones
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Q3 2025: Publish first €50 m joint call for green-energy and health-tech R&D projects.
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Q4 2025: Launch a Swedish-Ukrainian Innovation Hub in Kyiv—offering co-working labs and prototyping equipment.
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2026: Integrate 20+ Ukrainian institutions into Horizon Europe consortia; track progress via annual Rome Recovery Summit.
Bottom Line
By co-founding the Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation, Sweden positions cutting-edge R&D as a core investment vector in Ukraine’s reconstruction—linking war-time resilience to long-term economic growth and accelerated EU membership.
