On January 23, the APPAU General Assembly was held online. Participants heard the Executive Directorate’s annual report for 2025 and discussed the key development priorities for 2026.

Among the major activities and achievements of 2025, APPAU CEO Oleksandr Yurchak highlighted the following:

• Leadership in EDIH Kyiv HiTech has become a landmark project, completing APPAU’s seven-year cycle of establishing Industry 4.0 Centers at universities and developing DIHs (Digital Innovation Hubs). Previously, these activities carried out by APPAU and its partners were largely based on volunteer efforts. At last, we succeeded in securing stable European funding for three years. APPAU (through the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance) is becoming the leader of a new consortium of nine members, which also includes our long-standing community partners such as IT-Enterprise, FESTO, and Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The partnership within the EDIH framework opens up new opportunities for cooperation for many APPAU members — more on this below.
• Despite limited funding, we continued a number of initiatives within the CoP 5.0 community of practice, where working groups maintained joint efforts together with clusters of the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance. One of these groups (focused on cybersecurity) received sustainable funding, paving the way for the emergence of the Ukrainian Cybersecurity Cluster.
• We also maintained active international engagement, including several business missions to the Czech Republic, Poland, Norway, and Germany. The “Office in Brno” initiative, launched as an experiment, has been paused. Nevertheless, this experience remains an important achievement for APPAU in terms of activating collaborative mechanisms within the community, where initiatives are co-financed collectively.

At the same time, APPAU has identified several areas for improvement that became quite evident throughout 2025:

• first and foremost, the governance of the business association, where it is necessary to strengthen the role of the Board and clearly separate the management team and operational processes from those of the UCA (as they are currently affiliated);
• secondly, we need to improve integration and synergy with UCA clusters, as the potential for market-driven cooperation here is immense and still largely untapped;
• finally, we must enhance engagement and collaboration in international projects, while making better use of APPAU’s existing shared infrastructure and community assets (websites, groups and social media channels, events, regular business missions abroad, international project opportunities, committees, and more).

APPAU Priorities for 2026: From Projects to Open Ecosystems

The year 2026 brings many changes, with the most significant one being APPAU’s transition from a model of isolated initiatives toward portfolio-based management of programs and open Industry 4.0–5.0 ecosystems, where the association’s members themselves will play a key role.

1. Strategic Shift in 2026: Open Ecosystems Instead of Isolated Projects

The key change in 2026 is that APPAU is fully stepping into its role as the national institutional orchestrator of Industry 4.0–5.0 ecosystems in the manufacturing sectors (industry, energy, infrastructure, and dual-use technologies).

Although this role was already reflected in the previous 2022–2025 strategy, there are at least three major shifts:

• the focus is moving from “grant participation” toward long-term programs extending to 2030;
• a transition from a status-based logic (“member / non-member”) to a role- and contribution-based approach;
• building systematic cooperation with UCA clusters, EDIHs, large businesses, and international partners.

For APPAU members, this opens up new opportunities: joining programs where the outcomes go beyond analytics and selective participation in grant-funded projects, leading instead to new clients, contracts, pilot projects, new markets, and consortium partnerships.

For more details, see the publication: “APPAU’s New Strategy – Transition to Open Industry 4.0 Ecosystems.”

2. Program Portfolio 2026–2030: Where and How Collective Value Is Created

APPAU is building a portfolio of five interconnected tracks, each with clear mechanisms for member engagement and collective value creation.

2.1. Triple Transition for SMEs (Digital + Green + Security)

Key initiatives focus on the development of projects in the following areas: Digital Maturity Center, Industrial AI Development, Industrial Data Space Ukraine (IDS-UA), including integration with GAIA-X / Manufacturing-X, Circular Manufacturing Accelerator, Asset Performance & Security 5.0

Participation in these projects provides APPAU members with multiple benefits:

• access to real market demand from industrial SMEs;
• involvement in European-funded pilot projects (TRL 5–7), accelerating the commercialization of members’ own solutions;
• the opportunity to develop tailored product and service offerings within the program framework.

Engagement mechanisms include:

• joining projects as a technology, integration, or service provider;
• participating in joint pilots with enterprises through EDIH Kyiv HiTech;
• signing win-win agreements within sectoral programs, including joint promotion in selected priority markets together with UCA clusters (currently agro-food, energy, and mechanical engineering / defense-industrial sectors).

2.2. Innovation and R&D Infrastructure

A key priority for 2026 across the entire Ukrainian Cluster Alliance is building infrastructure that remains operational beyond individual project cycles. APPAU’s focus includes:

• a network of prototyping centers (additive manufacturing, digital and virtual design & prototyping, digital twins, product lifecycle management);
• Re-Up large-scale workforce reskilling programs, with priorities on unification and standardization of training curricula in industrial automation and Industry 4.0 technologies;
• ESG and Digital Product Passport (DPP) platforms, enabling the scaling of new technologies, innovation adoption, and the exchange of best practices.

Benefits for members:

• access to shared testbeds and expertise;
• rapid prototyping opportunities without heavy capital investments;
• strengthened cooperation with universities (KPI+) and science parks.

Engagement mechanisms include:

• participation in the portfolio of service providers (for EDIH Kyiv HiTech);
• joint development of educational and engineering programs together with universities;
• joining international consortia;
• integrating members’ own solutions into national platforms.

2.3. Defence, Security and Dual-Use (Clusters4Defense Program)

APPAU is systematically engaging through the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance Resource Center on Dual-Use Technologies, alongside other — including more specialized — clusters from the security and defence sector.

Together, we are committed to developing and scaling projects aimed at:

• rapid prototyping capabilities (PLM, CAD/CAE), which are currently critical for the production of drones and unmanned robotic systems;
• accelerated manufacturing automation — especially for producers transitioning to serial production. A key dimension here is the development of flexible manufacturing, as defence-industrial orders often require rapid adaptation and variability;
• strengthening OT/IT integration and cyber-resilience.

Benefits for members:

• access to funded opportunities within the defence-industrial sector, which is currently one of the most dynamic in Ukraine;
• engagement in high-demand markets with fast decision-making cycles;
• opportunities to scale dual-use solutions into civilian industries.

Engagement mechanisms include:

• participating in Clusters4Defense as a technology or engineering partner;
• cooperation with other clusters and EDIHs;
• integration into international supply chains.

2.4. Integration and International Cooperation

In 2026, APPAU will continue its series of international business missions. Planned trips already include:

• business missions to Dresden (March) and Warsaw (November);
• joint booths or a shared delegation at Hannover Messe, as well as a joint Digital Factory stand at the International Industrial Forum in Kyiv;
• the Industry 5.0 Leadership Forum;
• increased engagement and broader involvement of APPAU members in the services of EEN-Ukraine and international projects within EDIH Kyiv HiTech.

Benefits for members:

• access to concrete partners and clients;
• participation in European consortia;
• positioning as part of an ecosystem rather than as a standalone actor.

Engagement mechanisms include:

• joining delegations and exhibitions;
• participation in APPAU and EEN matchmaking platforms;
• preparing joint proposals under Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and Interreg Europe programs.

2.5. Institutional Initiatives and Governance 5.0

In 2026, APPAU will strengthen its policy advocacy around Industry 5.0 and further develop the Industry 5.0 Community of Practice (CoP 5.0). In particular, within the broader Ukrainian Cluster Alliance framework, regulations are already in place regarding the status of experts, their professional growth, and motivation mechanisms.

Experts represent a key strategic asset for shaping new policies, building knowledge bases, and developing effective cooperation mechanisms.

Benefits for members:

• influence on the formation of market rules and policy frameworks;
• clear positioning of expert roles, creating new opportunities for professional visibility and for promoting member companies;
• reduced “expert overload” through a transparent distribution of responsibilities and accountability.

Engagement mechanisms include:

• participation in working groups with clearly defined deliverables;
• expert roles with measurable outcomes;
• contribution to the development of national position papers and strategic documents.

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For more details on how to engage across all five strategic tracks, please refer to APPAU’s Project Portfolio until 2030. APPAU members will also receive a dedicated table outlining opportunities to select which of the 20+ projects they would like to join.

A visual overview of APPAU’s five strategic directions is also available here.

3. How APPAU Members Can Engage in 2026 – Practical Recommendations

Many initiatives and opportunities may appear abstract or unclear, especially for new members. Therefore, when it comes to practical steps for engagement, it is important to keep the following in mind.

Basic principles for joining APPAU initiatives:

1. Result-oriented participation (rather than formal involvement). Our members — especially those from the business community — are always focused on tangible outcomes, so this reminder may be particularly relevant for other stakeholder groups, such as universities. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that “results” do not always mean immediate commercial deals. This is why, at the very beginning of any initiative, it is essential to clearly define shared goals and expected outcomes.
2. Co-creation of collective value. APPAU cannot allocate its resources over long periods solely in the interest of one individual member. Our priority is to support cooperation mechanisms that generate collective value for the entire ecosystem.
3. Inclusiveness, proactivity, and openness to cooperation. APPAU is open to collaboration with all members of the association as well as with its broader partner network. Given the limited capacity of the Executive Directorate, initiatives driven by members themselves are particularly important, as is their willingness to take the lead in working groups, committees, and joint activities.

Typical engagement formats:

• A role within a specific project or program. For example, you may join as a partner of the program “Digitalization of Market X” (agri-food, defence-industrial sector, energy, etc.), where you are immediately included in the catalogue of technology providers for that sector.
• EDIH service provider. This refers to systematic involvement (over a full three-year period) in the promotional and service activities of the SME digitalization hub, acting as a provider of Industry 4.0 technologies, supported by your own service offerings.
• Partner within Clusters4X cluster programs. This format focuses on contributing to the development of sector-level programs, projects, and roadmaps. For instance, the inter-cluster Working Group “Energy Island” has already started its work, addressing two key directions: 1. developing a roadmap for the digitalization of the energy sector (where grid management and dispatching within energy islands are particularly urgent), and 2. providing “rapid support” to communities and cities through the dissemination of ready-to-implement solutions from technology providers.
• Participant in an international consortium. In this case, integration is facilitated through our Project Office, which regularly provides members with a list of available calls (open grant opportunities).

The general principle is straightforward: the more active the participation, the greater the access to new clients, partners, markets, funding opportunities, and shared ecosystem assets.

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In summary, for APPAU, 2026 marks a transition from organizing events to orchestrating an Industry 4.0–5.0 ecosystem, where association members increasingly move from being mere beneficiaries of services delivered by the Executive Directorate to becoming co-creators and co-owners of shared outcomes.

APPAU is building the enabling conditions, infrastructure, and international connections. The real value, however, is created by active members — through roles, projects, and collaboration.