Event Summary: Mapping of the Ukrainian Health Value Chain within the international Clusters4Health project

1. Opening Remarks

In June 2025, as part of the Clusters4Health project, a consultation workshop entitled "Mapping of the Ukrainian Health Value Chain" was held. The event marked the beginning of a series of practical sessions aimed at fostering cooperation between Ukrainian and European health clusters, identifying vulnerable points in value chains (VCs), and drafting a roadmap for their recovery.

The session was opened by project coordinator Alina Capitanu (Romania) and Tetiana Vorontsova, head of the Rivne Interregional Medical Cluster. In their welcoming addresses, they highlighted that the new operating conditions of Ukraine's healthcare system require a rethinking of approaches to governance, partnership, and development. Medical clusters were emphasized as platforms not only for knowledge exchange but also for joint production, digital transformation, and integration into the EU market.

2. State of the Ukrainian Health System: Address by Dmytro Samofalov

Dmytro Samofalov, representative of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, presented the Ministry's vision regarding the development of medical clusters with a focus on the needs of military medicine. He emphasized that Ukrainian military medics possess unique expertise of significant interest to European partners, including tactical medicine, battlefield surgery, TCCC protocols, mass evacuation, and crisis triage.

He outlined key needs such as the modernization of training infrastructure, provision of advanced simulation equipment, expansion of access to education programs, and joint development of medical solutions. He also confirmed readiness for data and experience exchange, as well as for creating open cooperation channels between military and civilian medicine.

3. Value Chains as Recovery Mechanism: Natalia Dziuba's Presentation

The keynote session was presented by Natalia Dziuba, moderator of the event and cluster manager of Kyiv Medical Products Cluster PromedMen. She presented the results of mapping and analyzing value chains in the Ukrainian medical sector and demonstrated how the cluster model allows for the integration of fragmented elements such as R&D, manufacturing, certification, clinical adoption, and after-sales service.

Based on a survey conducted within the project, 72% of organizations reported that their functions within VCs were disrupted by the war. Over 50% emphasized the need for complete partnership cycles—from workforce training to product implementation. Only 25 organizations reported experience in international projects, pointing to the need for enhanced project and export capacity.

Using the example of endoprosthetics, Natalia Dziuba illustrated how Ukrainian clusters can build full-cycle value chains: from fundamental research and prototyping to digital surgical planning and post-operative support.

4. Survey Results & Stakeholder Dialogue: Daniel Cosnita

Daniel Cosnita, President of the Romanian Cluster Association, presented the findings of an analytical survey that covered over 100 Ukrainian healthcare organizations, including hospitals, manufacturers, NGOs, and research institutions.

Major challenges for businesses included lack of investment, limited knowledge of EU certification processes, and low levels of internationalization. Hospitals highlighted their need for technical modernization, technology transfer, and training in health economics and management. For research institutes, key gaps included funding shortages and weak links with industry.

Following the presentation, an open stakeholder dialogue was held, facilitated by Cosnita. Participants—from hospital managers to civil society leaders—identified specific barriers and co-developed ideas for cooperation. The dialogue format proved effective in bridging priorities between field-level actors and EU policy instruments.

5. European Commission Input: Strategic Synergies and Policy Instruments

Representatives of the European Commission, Martin (DG GROW) and Giovanni (cluster cooperation coordinator), outlined a comprehensive framework of EU support for Ukraine's healthcare and cluster development.

They highlighted:

·  The healthcare sector as a priority in the EU’s Ukraine Recovery Plan, with over €7 billion already allocated.
· Opportunities for Ukrainian clusters through the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP), Euroclusters programme, Enterprise Europe Network, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, and SME funding instruments.
· The operation of two medical-sector-focused EU–Ukraine cluster partnerships: Cluster4Health and UkraineCoop (telemedicine-focused).
· A forthcoming project to align Ukraine’s health legislation with EU standards starting autumn 2025.
· The Ukraine Focus Group, a 250+ stakeholder network facilitating monthly policy and project exchange between Ukraine and EU institutions.

The Commission confirmed its strategic commitment to supporting Ukrainian clusters in capacity building, certification, matchmaking, and integration into EU supply chains.

In addition, the event was attended by key members of the Clusters4Health consortium, including Clara Medina and Montse Daban from Biocat (Spain), and Joanna Jurecka from Klaster LifeScience Kraków (Poland), who contributed to the exchange of international experience and reinforced the network of collaboration.

6. Conclusions and Next Steps

The workshop concluded with consensus around the importance of systemic value chain restoration in healthcare through cluster models. Clusters were recognized as cross-sector platforms linking science, manufacturing, hospitals, business, and communities in joint innovation efforts.

Agreed next steps include:

·  Launching a joint EU–Ukraine cluster roadmap;
· Organizing deep-dive diagnostic sessions in Barcelona and Oslo;
· Expanding participation in MedicNest and Cluster Acceleration Lab;
· Supporting the creation of new medical clusters in Ukraine.

The event concluded with a call for stakeholders from both Ukraine and the EU to continue building partnerships aimed at making Ukraine’s healthcare system resilient, innovative, and integrated into the European market.

Materials, presentations, and recordings are available via:
https://clusterforhealth.org.ua
https://medicnest.eu