Innovative spirit at the core of Ukrainian economic resilience

New home in the Netherlands

At the onset of the full-scale invasion, Oksana and her two small children gathered their belongings and fled their home in Ukraine without knowing what the future held.  

After spending a month in Poland, she decided to move to the Netherlands where Oksana found a placement at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Thanks to MSCA4Ukraine, Oksana managed to secure a two-year fellowship providing stability for herself and her children and allowing her to resume her research.  

It is more than just career and research support—it is about supporting people’s lives. The MSCA4Ukraine fellowship gave me a unique opportunity to continue my research without losing my connection to Ukraine.

Innovative spirit at the core of Ukrainian economic resilience

Innovative entrepreneurship in crisis conditions and economic recovery through creation of favourable environment for startup development are at the core of Oksana’s research project.  

I study what startup founders need for effective launching and growth, as well as which European initiatives can be adapted to Ukrainian realities in the post-war period. Understanding how entrepreneurs can quickly resume operations, attract investment, and utilize innovations for growth is crucial for the country’s future.

Although Oksana is yet unable to return home, she continues to collaborate with her colleagues from Ukraine, performing joint research on how entrepreneurs are able to adapt to crises.

Helping to rebuild Ukraine’s economy through entrepreneurship  

Oksana is determined to take full advantage of the experience that she gained during the MSCA4Ukraine fellowship to help with Ukraine’s economic recovery.

This programme gave me the chance to establish international collaborations, which is extremely important for the post-war recovery of Ukrainian science and economy. My goal is to use the acquired knowledge to develop an ecosystem for innovative entrepreneurship in Ukraine.

About MSCA4Ukraine

MSCA4Ukraine, funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), is part of the EU’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to the need for action to support displaced researchers from Ukraine.

It is enabling 125 fellows to continue their work in Europe, helping to safeguard Ukraine’s research and innovation system and the freedom of scientific research at large. Thanks to additional €10 million in funding, MSCA4Ukraine will support 50 more fellows in 2025.