Based on a detailed analysis of the situation of UA Innovation Ecosystem after Russian invasion, partners (6 Ukrainian partners and 11 partners from 11 other EU member States with an extensive outreach capacity spanning across key EU and global markets) have put together a proposal aimed at providing support to counteract the harm done to Ukrainian startups and deep tech SMEs in the short term, building a framework that supports the Ukrainian Government’s goal of becoming a ‘start-up nation’, and increasing the role of innovators and the deep tech industry in driving growth. This will be achieved through a comprehensive portfolio of support services that combine cascade funding (10k-25k-50k grants), access to finance actions (connecting to public funds and private investors, training on EIC, EIT and other cascading opportunities etc.), deep-tech-focused incubation and acceleration programmes, and market access initiatives (targeting 10+ countries, soft landing in 10 key sectors/verticals, and working spaces in 50+ locations across Europe). Pan-European integration – which brings UA innovation closer to investors, accelerators, potential buyers, innovation agencies and peers - will also be a key component of this project. The Consortium is led by FBA (PL-based and leader of FSTP management) with key support from USF, Ukraine’s public agency to support SMEs, which will invest its own resources and guarantee synergies with UA. Other partners key to guarantee services delivery and wide impact are: EITH (KICs), PNP (investors), LXI (EU innovation stakeholders), CORKBIC (BIC network), IHS (Impact Hub Network), IOP (EEN in UA). Circa 1,000 innovators, start-ups and deep tech SMEs located in UA or created by Ukrainian citizens in other EU countries after 24.02.2022 will benefit from said support, with at least 400 expected to gain a mix of financial and non-financial support, and many others expected to access non-financial support while seeking other sources of funding.

Real cell membranes are essentially asymmetric and non-planar. Outer leaflets of the plasma membranes contain neutral lipids and glycolipids, while the inner leaflets host practically all anionic lipids and phosphoinositides. In addition to asymmetric composition the membranes are usually curved due to spontaneous curvature of the membrane lipids and an influence of membrane proteins and cytoskeleton. There are many cellular phenomena, which are influenced by the asymmetry and the membrane curvature such as formation of synaptic vesicles, blebs and apoptotic bodies, membrane fusion and splitting, budding of enveloped viruses, endo and exocytosis, etc. In this work we propose comprehensive interdisciplinary study of the influence of membrane asymmetry and curvature on the functioning of integral membrane proteins and the transmembrane transport of therapeutic compounds (such as cisplatin and its derivatives). The goal is to reveal major physical factors, which distinguish asymmetric and curved membrane environment and govern interactions, orientation and diffusion of the small molecules (drugs) and large integral proteins. The combination of experimental methods (“wet” biochemistry and molecular biology, enhanced infrared and Raman spectroscopy) and computer simulations (coarse-grained and atomistic molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry) would be used in the project in complimentary manner.

The overall / general objective of this proposal is to increase innovation potential and innovation management skills within SMEs in the all regions of Ukraine and to assist SMEs with potential for international growth via product, process, service or business model support. The project will follow a defined methodology to help regional businesses to increase their innovation capacity, to innovate profitably and also to successfully implement their innovative ideas on the competitive market. The EEN-Ukraine Consortium intends to enhance innovation capacity of SMEs by encouragement their participation in Horizon 2020 projects and provision of key account manager services to SMEs which implement H2020 SME Instrument projects. The secondary target group will be R&D organisations that will benefit from EEN services as well. The specific objectives for reaching the overall / general objective are as follows: - promote and support SMEs from Ukraine in participation on the H2020 SME Instrument and other H2020 programmes; - identify weaknesses in the innovation capacities of the beneficiary that hinder the realization of growth opportunities and of the full commercial potential of SME Instrument participants; - identify suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses and moderating the coach-client relationship; - increase the innovation potential of SMEs lacking professional support in the field of innovation management; - help SMEs to select the most appropriate coach; - explain and sell the benefits of the SME Instrument's coaching service to potential beneficiaries; - facilitate the SME- coach relationship and ensure the effective teamwork and co-operation between the SME; - secure close cooperation links between the Consortium and the H2020 National Contact Point, regional stakeholders and other business and research support institutions; - accompany the beneficiary through the SME instrument project; - make the innovation system of Ukrainian SME more effective.

The main objective of the project is development of complex transition metal oxides with perovskite-like structure having improved and controllable (multi)ferroic properties. The mentioned materials are manganites and ferrites with optimal composition having distinct magnetization, polarization, (magneto)transport properties or magnetoelectric coupling. The idea of the project is to utilize reduced structural stability of these oxides which increases their sensitivity to external stimuli. Improved functional properties of these oxides can be controlled via modification of the chemical bond character, structural parameters, stoichiometry, defects etc. The reduced stability is associated with the metastable structural state formed in the vicinity of the phase boundaries, while this state presumably consists of coexistent nanoscale regions of the adjacent structural phases. There are two ideas to create metastable state: the first one – to design ceramics via chemical substitution and post-synthesis treatment by high pressure and/or thermal cycling in gases to induce nanoscale regions, the second one assumes chemical routes synthesis of films and ceramics. Besides the fundamental interest of the phase transitions and related phenomena affecting properties of the oxides the applicants consider them to be effective materials for electronic applications (as sensors, magnetic memory elements, filters etc.). Research of these oxides requires consolidative efforts of specialists in different scientific areas - Materials Science, Theoretical Physics, Solid State Physics etc. as well as an access to unique equipment and facilities. Another important objective of the project is a formation of interdisciplinary network of teams and specialists with different scientific backgrounds which will ensure effective transfer of actual knowledge and skills. Development of the transition metal oxides with controllable properties has promising commercial opportunities for the involved SME.

The overall / general objective of this proposal is to increase innovation potential and innovation management skills within SMEs in the all regions of Ukraine and to assist SMEs with potential for international growth via product, process, service or business model support. The project will follow a defined methodology to help regional businesses to increase their innovation capacity, to innovate profitably and also to successfully implement their innovative ideas on the competitive market. The EEN-Ukraine Consortium intends to enhance innovation capacity of SMEs by encouragement their participation in Horizon 2020 projects and provision of KAM services to SMEs which implement H2020 SME Instrument projects (or FTI and FET-Open ). The secondary target group will be R&D organisations that will benefit from EEN services as well. The specific objectives for reaching the overall / general objective are as follows: - promote and support SMEs from Ukraine in participation on the H2020 SME Instrument and COSME programmes; - identify weaknesses in the innovation capacities of the beneficiary that hinder the realization of growth opportunities and of the full commercial potential of SME Instrument participants; - identify suitable coaches to address the identified weaknesses and moderating the coach-client relationship; - increase the innovation potential of SMEs lacking professional support in the field of innovation management; - help SMEs to select the most appropriate coach; - explain and sell the benefits of the SME Instrument's coaching service to potential beneficiaries; - facilitate the SME- coach relationship and ensure the effective teamwork and co-operation between the SME; - secure close cooperation links between the Consortium and the H2020 National Contact Point, regional stakeholders and other business and research support institutions; - accompany the beneficiary through the SME instrument project; - make the innovation system of Ukrainian SME more effective.