A European digital innovation hub is operating in Zaporizhzhia, helping small and medium-sized businesses and institutions adopt modern technologies. Its areas of focus include artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, digital twins, 3D printing, the Internet of Things, and industrial automation.
The hub covers Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson oblasts. It is coordinated by the National University “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic,” and its partners include the Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Engineering – Automation – Machine Building cluster.
Pershyi Zaporizkyi explains how the hub is linked to the European Digital Europe programme, what services local businesses can receive, and which technologies are used here.
From Digital Europe to Zaporizhzhia: how the European network of digital hubs works
The Zaporizhzhia European Digital Innovation Hub is part of a network of centres created to make modern technologies more accessible to businesses and the public sector. The development of this network is one of the instruments of the European Union’s Digital Europe programme.
The programme covers 2021–2027, and its budget exceeds €8.1 billion. Funds are directed towards high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, the wide use of modern technologies in business and the public sector, and the development of semiconductors.
One distinguishing feature of Digital Europe is that it focuses not only on creating new developments but also on their practical use. A technology may already exist, but a company needs equipment, experts, training, or the chance to test it before spending money on implementation.
This is what the European Digital Innovation Hubs are for. Through them, small and medium-sized businesses and institutions can obtain technical expertise, test solutions before investing, train employees, and look for funding and partners.
According to the Digital Europe mid-term evaluation, by the end of 2025, 169 such hubs had been deployed in Europe, and their services had been used by more than 90,000 companies and organisations. Ukraine joined Digital Europe in 2022. In 2024, a network of 12 Ukrainian digital innovation hubs was formed. In January 2026, four of them received more than €3.6 million in EU funding. These are centres in Kyiv, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk.
The Zaporizhzhia hub has also joined the European Digital Innovation Hubs. This was recorded by the Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2025. The project holds a Seal of Excellence — a mark awarded to applications that have successfully passed the European Commission’s evaluation.
Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and business: what can be obtained through the digital hub
The Zaporizhzhia European digital innovation hub serves Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson oblasts. In the European catalogue, its main users are identified as small and medium-sized businesses and the public sector of south-eastern Ukraine. The coordinator is the National University “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic.” Its partners are the Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Zaporizhzhia cluster “Engineering – Automation – Machine Building.” The Cyberwar Research Institute is also listed in the European catalogue as an associate partner.
This structure makes it possible to combine different areas of expertise. Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic has the technical and scientific base, the cluster works with enterprises in machine building, automation, and engineering, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry works directly with local businesses.
In the European network’s catalogue, the Zaporizhzhia hub lists a broad range of services. These include prototyping, technological innovation, innovation management, support for small and medium-sized businesses, help with funding, technology transfer, and professional training.
One of the key principles of digital hubs is “test before invest”: an enterprise does not have to buy expensive equipment or software right away. It can first assess the technology, check whether it suits a particular production process, and only then decide on spending.
For example, a company wants to automate one operation on a production line. Before purchasing equipment, it can model the process, assess the compatibility of the new solution with existing equipment, and understand what result it will deliver.
Another service is prototyping. Instead of launching a new product straight into mass production, a digital model or test sample can be created, the design checked, flaws found, and changes made.
A separate area concerns the search for funds. The hub does not automatically award a grant to an enterprise, but it can help navigate available programmes, prepare projects, and find sources of funding for digitalisation.
Among its work within the hub, the Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry names technical regulation, analytics, and project activities. The Chamber also helps enterprises work with international markets and overcome technical barriers.
In February 2025, the digital hub’s capabilities were presented separately to the Council of Entrepreneurs under Zaporizhzhia City Council. At that time, local companies were presented with the opportunities of digital transformation and access to new support tools.
Photo: Zaporizhzhia ЕAM cluster.
Training is also a separate part of the work. Implementing a new technology often requires not only equipment but also employees who understand how to use it. That is why professional training and the improvement of digital skills are included in the list of services of the Zaporizhzhia centre.
From digital twins to robotics: which technologies Zaporizhzhia businesses can work with
The hub’s technological specialisation largely corresponds to the structure of the economy of Zaporizhzhia and neighbouring industrial oblasts. The main sectors listed in the European catalogue are manufacturing and processing, metalworking and industrial production, energy, power engineering, education, finance, public administration, and smart cities.
The centre itself names metallurgy, machine building, and renewable energy among the industries important for the region.
Its potential users are therefore not only IT companies or start-ups. They include, in particular, manufacturing and machine-building enterprises, the energy sector, educational institutions, and public bodies.
One of the technologies the hub works with is digital twins. This is a virtual model of real equipment, a production line, or another object. It can be used to test what will happen after a particular change before intervening in actual production.
For example, an enterprise plans to install new equipment or rebuild part of a line. The future process can first be recreated in a digital model, different scenarios tested, and potential problems identified. This reduces risks during the actual launch.
Another area is additive manufacturing, which includes 3D printing. A part is created layer by layer from a digital model. For a machine-building enterprise, this can be a way to quickly produce a prototype, a test component, or a one-off sample without running a full production cycle.
Photo: NU “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic.”
Robotics is also among the hub’s declared technologies. Robotic systems can perform repetitive operations, handle parts, or help automate individual stages of production.
Photo: NU “Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic.”
Another area is the Internet of Things. These are systems in which equipment and sensors automatically collect and transmit information. At an enterprise, this can be used to monitor the condition of machines, temperature, energy consumption, or other indicators without constant manual checks.
Working with big data makes it possible to analyse large volumes of information and look for patterns. For production, this could mean analysing equipment indicators, resource consumption, or causes of downtime.
Cybersecurity is listed separately. The more equipment, control systems, and internal processes of an enterprise move into the digital environment, the more important it becomes to protect them from outside interference, information leaks, or cyberattacks.
European partners and funding: how businesses can make use of the hub’s opportunities
For a local enterprise, what matters is not only the expertise available directly in Zaporizhzhia. One of the principles of the European Digital Innovation Hubs network is that individual centres can interact with one another and draw on the necessary competences from other regions and countries.
If the required technology or specialists are not available at a particular hub, a company can look for the relevant expertise through the wider network. These may be other technology centres, universities, companies, or organisations that already work with the required solution.
For Zaporizhzhia businesses, this can also be useful when entering new markets. Partnerships with European companies and universities make it possible not only to receive technological advice but also to find participants for joint international projects.
The search for funding remains a separate area. Through the hub ecosystem, an enterprise can receive information about available programmes and grant competitions. At the same time, participation in the hub does not in itself mean automatic receipt of funds — most programmes require a separate application and a competitive selection process.
The Digital Europe network is designed primarily to ensure that companies are not left alone with a technological challenge. An enterprise can start not by searching for a specific grant but by defining its problem: for example, how to reduce manual labour, automate equipment monitoring, create a digital model of a production line, or better protect its internal systems.
After that, it can determine which technology is needed, whether it should be tested first, which specialists need to be trained, and where to look for funds for implementation.
Text by Anastasiia Havrysh
Source: Pershyi Zaporizkyi