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26 October in Kyiv will host the 12-th Kyiv International Economic Forum (KMEF). More than 500 participants are expected — owners and executives of Ukrainian and international companies, government representatives, investors, diplomats, and experts.
What's on KMEF's agenda 2026 The main theme of this year’s forum is "People. Business. Economy. What’s next?". At the center of discussions is how business and the economy can withstand the new conditions, adapt, and return to growth. Participant registration is available on the KMEF website. Forecasts and challenges for business: forum context In the fifth year of the full-scale war, pressure on the Ukrainian economy is intensifying. Targeted are manufacturing, energy, ports, railways, logistics centers, and other business-critical infrastructure. According to the Ministry of Economy, direct losses from destruction could reach about 10 billion dollars annually, and together with the blockade of seaports they already cost Ukraine about 1,5 percentage points of GDP in 2026. In its October forecast, the World Bank projects Ukraine’s economic growth will slow to 1,2% in 2026 and will be 1,5% in 2027 if active hostilities continue. In earlier forecasts for 2027 the bank predicted 4% assuming they would end by the end of 2026. "If the discussion used to focus on rebuilding Ukraine, today the focus has shifted to how to ensure the economy’s resilience now. Business needs solutions that will help protect assets, maintain production, and continue investing even during war," says Vasyl Khmelnytsky, KMEF initiator and founder of the UFuture holding. Asset protection, energy, and financing: what will be discussed at KMEF The KMEF 2026 program includes 12 panel discussions. Central topics include: physical protection of business, operations during air raid alerts, decentralized logistics and energy supply, resilience of communications, insurance for war risks, compensation for lost assets, access to financing, and maintaining macro stability. Key themes also include adapting the state’s industrial development strategy and energy policy to new conditions, the state’s economic priorities, international cooperation, and European integration amid new challenges. Special attention will be given to the experience of frontline cities and solutions already working there. Who will speak at the forum Among the speakers at KMEF-2026: Oleksandr Komarov, CEO and President of the Kyivstar group; Ruslan Shostak, President of TERWIN Corporation, founder of EVA and VARUS; Francis Mailloché, Managing Director of the EBRD’s Financial Institutions sector; Yuliya Svyrydenko, President of the KSE business school; Vyacheslav Klymov, Co-owner of the NOVA group of companies; Dominykas Tučkus, Investment Director of Amber Infrastructure Fund; Ihor Nikonov, Founder of the development company KAN Development; Tomas Fiala, Founder of Dragon Capital; Inga Andreeva, General Manager of Mastercard in Ukraine and Moldova; David Godfrey, Board member of British-Ukrainian Economic Future and former CEO of UK Export Finance. From fuel logistics to distributed generation: how business adapts to crises the Ukrainian economy already has experience in rapid crisis adaptation. In 2022, after the destruction of the Kremenchuk oil refining plant and fuel shortages, the country rebuilt fuel logistics, and thousands of enterprises relocated from frontline regions to the interior of the country. After the blockade of traditional maritime routes in 2023, a Ukrainian maritime corridor began operating, and after last year’s large-scale attacks on the power system, business and the state began actively developing distributed generation. "Today the conversation about the future must begin with finding practical solutions that business, the state, and international partners can adopt right now to preserve resilience and return the economy to growth. That is what KMEF is about this year," says KMEF CEO Yurii Pyvovarov. According to the organizers, media accreditation for the forum continues until 21 October at the link.
Title partners of the forum: UFuture, Mastercard, AEQUO, PrivatBank, Kyivstar Forum partners: Sense Bank, NEQSOL Holding, PUMB, DTEK, Ajax Systems, Uklon, TERWIN, Eclectic Talents Group, BALEX, CEO Club Ukraine.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Як бізнесу й економіці вистояти в умовах війни: програма та спікери КМЕФ-2026". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: RBC-Ukraine.
