This month, AIM's delegation visited both the Czech Republic and Norway, where we accomplished remarkable things. Establishing business connections abroad is vital for the resilience and growth of our country. Export, import facilitation, and service provision—along with setting up representative offices—are essential to sustaining the economy. We’re excited to share with you the outcomes of years of dedicated work, partnerships, and numerous negotiation rounds.
International Engineering Fair (MSV)
As part of our business mission, we attended the International Engineering Fair (MSV) in Brno, where we explored the latest advancements in industrial technology and innovation. The fair showcased participants from diverse sectors such as engineering, cybersecurity, and robotics. During the event, we established numerous new contacts—some of whom hold potential as future clients for our marketing analytics services, while others may become partners in socially responsible projects, such as those promoting community energy independence.
Opening of Brno office
The opening of AIM Group’s office in one of Masaryk University's buildings, home to the Cybersecurity Hub CZ, marked a significant milestone for us. This new space in the Czech Republic is more than just a workspace; it's the result of continuous efforts on this project, multiple trips to Brno, and extensive negotiations led by our CEO and our partners, including UKA and Tomáš Kulaba. With the support of our Czech colleagues, we have successfully established this office and are actively exploring collaborative opportunities to enter the Czech market.
The new office will serve as a crucial hub for coordinating our projects in the Czech Republic and enable us to actively engage new partners and clients in the fields of digital innovation, energy efficiency, and Industry 4.0. What makes the AIM office opening even more significant is its location on the “Innovation Floor,” where we are neighbors with the recently launched Advanced Chip Design and Research Center (ACDRC)—a state-of-the-art research center in microelectronics.
АІ In АІМ
Our delegation had the opportunity to participate in the conference "Updates in Smart Industry within Ukrainian Realities," held at our Contact Ukraine stand, which served as a unifying space for Ukrainian businesses. During our presentation on "Artificial Intelligence in Construction and the Public Sector," we shared the progress we’ve made—from utilizing neural networks for data processing to implementing advanced tools in our operations. We also offered insights into the future development of AI.
Trip to Oslo
Our delegation’s trip to Oslo, organized with the support of the Norwegian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce (NUCC) and the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance (UCA), provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen connections between Ukrainian and Norwegian organizations. Although this was not AIM’s first visit to Norway—our CEO Yurii Shchyrin and CBDO Vlad Kadlubytskyi had already established initial contacts here—this was the first time as part of a UCA delegation. This allowed us to broaden our network and engage with a wider range of organizations for potential collaboration.
Our first meeting was with the mission organizers—the Norwegian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce (NUCC), a nonprofit NGO established to support Norwegian and Ukrainian companies. During a presentation on the specifics of Norwegian-Ukrainian economic and trade relations, we gained many valuable insights. Notably, bilateral trade in services is estimated at $138 million in 2023, reflecting a 20% annual growth rate compared to pre-invasion projections. For us, this highlights Norway’s openness to Ukrainian businesses, although overcoming biases, including concerns about corruption risks, will be necessary.
Innovation Norway та SINTEF — The Innovation Sector in Norway
Innovation Norway, SINTEF, and the Construction City Cluster are pivotal components of Norway's innovation ecosystem, each offering unique opportunities for collaborative projects with Ukrainian companies. Innovation Norway is a state-owned agency dedicated to supporting business development and innovation. It provides financing, advisory services, and access to an extensive network of contacts. The agency's programs emphasize environmental and digital initiatives aimed at fostering a green economy and international business expansion. For Ukrainian companies seeking to internationalize or implement eco-friendly technologies, partnering with Innovation Norway presents valuable opportunities, particularly within European programs like HORIZON.
SINTEF, one of Europe's largest independent research centers, enhances this ecosystem with advanced scientific developments in materials science, energy, construction, and digital technologies. Its focus areas include sustainable construction, renewable materials, and waste recycling. SINTEF offers Ukrainian companies collaboration in applied research and development to implement cutting-edge technologies and sustainable solutions in construction and industrial projects. The business mission to Oslo showcased substantial potential for building new partnerships and deepening economic ties between Ukraine and Norway. We not only strengthened existing contacts but also gained new tools and resources to help Ukrainian companies integrate into the international market.
