Transport hub, industrial parks, alternative energy — Mykolaiv region presented its regional action plan on the path to the EU

Mykolaiv Oblast has presented its regional action plan on the path to the EU. Photo: NikVesti

The Mykolaiv region’s regional action plan for 2026–2027, set out in the context of European integration, was presented to business representatives. In the plan, drawn up by the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, the main areas of development for the region were identified as a transport hub, industrial parks and renewable energy. Entrepreneurs from various sectors noted that they would like to see more active communication from the authorities, as businesses are currently facing many challenges.

This was discussed at the presentation of the regional plan on 29 October, according to NikVesti.

Mykola Marinov, Deputy Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, emphasised that the regions play a key practical role in the process of European integration. The regional plan has been used to identify the main areas for the region’s development.

«This regional plan is our attempt to draw attention specifically to those areas that will help us establish ourselves as a region within the European Union, to identify what drives our development and how this influences the various aspects of European integration and the negotiation process (in the context of EU accession, — note). Conversely, how the negotiation process and everything Ukraine must do in these clusters influence the development of these areas,» said Mykola Marinov.

A transport hub, industrial parks and renewable energy were identified as the key areas of development for the Mykolaiv region.

Artem Vashchylenko, Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Public Organisation «Ukrainian Association of Business Support Centres», also noted that in the process of European integration, it is not only the signing of documents that is important, but specifically what is happening at the level of cities and communities.

Artem Vashchylenko, Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Business Support Centres; Mykola Marinov, Deputy Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration; and Svitlana Shapovalova, Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Development and Regional Policy at the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration. Photo: NikVesti

Yuliia Hrytsku, Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, noted that the Mykolaiv region is the first of the southern regions and the second in Ukraine to present a regional plan.

«I regularly meet colleagues from the European Union, and they emphasise that whilst they do not know the whole of Ukraine very well, they know the Mykolaiv region very well indeed. So this is always very pleasing. And I am very pleased that you are the first among the southern regions, and the second in Ukraine, to present a regional plan,» said Yuliia Hrytsku.

Yuliia Hrytsku, Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, took part online. Photo: NikVesti

Svitlana Shapovalova, Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Development and Regional Policy at the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, presented the regional plan for the Mykolaiv region for 2026–2027. According to her, prior to the war, the Mykolaiv region ranked first among the regions in terms of gross regional product: the average figure for Ukraine was 103.4 per cent, whilst in the Mykolaiv region it was 112.8 per cent.

The official also noted that the region enjoys a favourable geographical location; however, it is now close to the combat zone, with mined territories and blocked ports. This is disrupting transport chains in logistics and affecting economic indicators.

«Yet, despite everything, the region is already showing decent figures. Some indicators have already returned to pre-war levels. In certain respects, such as the volume of industrial output sold, we have exceeded pre-war figures. At present, there is a shift towards other sectors. It is fair to say that 80 per cent of the volume of industrial output sold today comes from electricity generation. If we look at the pre-war period, it was engineering and the processing industry that dominated,» said Svitlana Shapovalova.

The official noted that when drawing up the plan, they took into account areas where the Mykolaiv region can compete and lead the way amongst the regions. There are three such areas.

Transport hub

Despite the blockades of the ports, the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration sees potential in the development of port infrastructure. Svitlana Shapovalova noted that the Mykolaiv region has four seaports, a river port and large terminals. According to the data provided, in the pre-war period the region accounted for around 30–35 per cent of transhipment across all of Ukraine’s ports.

«Unfortunately, we are currently facing the problem of port blockades. The Mykolaiv region was not included in the grain agreement, which had a negative impact on economic indicators, including foreign trade, and disrupted logistics chains; however, certain steps are now being taken. We have planned specific measures to develop this area. At present, some ports are already part of the Trans-European Transport Network. This represents a major step forward for us, and this participation gives us the opportunity to gain access to European markets in the future, as well as funding for the restoration of our port infrastructure,» said Svitlana Shapovalova.

She noted that, in line with EU standards, the state-owned enterprise «Mykolaiv Sea Trade Port» is to be reorganised into a limited liability company. Thanks to this, in particular, they see opportunities to simplify the process of attracting investment from international investors.

Participants at the presentation of the Mykolaiv region’s regional action plan. Photo: NikVesti

Industrial parks

Svitlana Shapovalova noted that there are currently two registered industrial parks in the region, whilst a management company is still being sought for a third. Two further parks are in the process of being registered.

«One of our parks is located in the Kryve Ozero settlement community. This is the Sunart park, which is positioned as a cluster for the processing of soya and sunflower seeds in the Mykolaiv region,» said the deputy director of the Department of Economic Development.

Industrial parks are seen as one of the areas for development in the Mykolaiv region. Screenshot from a presentation by the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration

Alternative energy

The official also emphasised that the Mykolaiv region is ideally situated for the development of alternative energy, in line with EU principles, particularly environmental ones.

«According to data as at 1 July 2026, there were 109 wind turbines in operation in the Mykolaiv region. By 1 August, this figure had risen to 133 wind turbines. Whilst there were 288 solar power stations in the region on 1 July, by 1 August the figure had reached 306,» noted Svitlana Shapovalova.

Alternative energy is seen as another priority area. Screenshot from a presentation by the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration

Feedback from the business community

The official called on business representatives to join the discussion and submit proposals. Artem Vashchylenko highlighted the importance of canal dues in the context of the port sector’s development (a mandatory port charge for vessels passing through sea channels or port approach channels, — note)

«Ports are, in fact, the driving force behind economic development. There are dozens, even hundreds, of enterprises, suppliers and exporters centred around ports; in other words, this means foreign exchange earnings and ship repair. Therefore, the restoration of the logistics and port sectors is absolutely essential for Mykolaiv. But we understand that the competitiveness of Mykolaiv’s ports, amongst other things, has depended heavily on the rate of the canal dues, which has always been one of the problems faced by Mykolaiv’s port operators. This has, in fact, affected the cost of transporting maritime cargo. And this has always been a matter of competition. Therefore, I believe that, as part of the comprehensive restoration of operations at Mykolaiv’s ports, we must also look at the regulatory process and the setting of the canal toll rate, so that this significant factor does not continue to have a negative impact on the cost of services specifically at Mykolaiv’s ports, including the ports of the greater Odesa area,» remarked Artem Vashchilenko.

Valerii Vetrov, Chair of the Mykolaiv Regional Reform Platform, pointed out that the main problem for businesses at present is shelter. The problem arose following the adoption of Cabinet of Ministers Resolution №1092, which regulates business operations during air raid alerts.

«The issue is not just about plans, but about ensuring the implementation of legislation that has already been adopted. The problem arose because, when the resolution was adopted, businesses were not involved in the process of assessing how this resolution would affect them,» noted Valerii Vetrov.

Valery Vetrov (right) highlighted the problem that has arisen due to the new Cabinet of Ministers’ resolution on shelters and businesses. Photo: NikVesti

He added that the business community needs to engage with the authorities on this issue. He also drew attention to the problem concerning the Law «On Inland Water Transport».

«We have been trying for many years — five years now — to implement the «Law on Inland Water Transport». It is a European law. It contains European requirements. For five years we have been trying to do something about these moorings. But we are on our own. We are asking for support from the central government to implement this law,» emphasised Valerii Vetrov.

He believed that it is necessary to cooperate with the authorities, but that it is essential to work together with representatives from various sectors to focus on the implementation of European standards.

Ihor Furkalo, Director of «Lactalis Mykolaiv», noted that the company has international support. However, there are issues that could be better resolved through communication with the authorities.

«We have always felt protected by the umbrella of a reliable European friend. And this continues to be the case today. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that we continue to receive financial assistance, technical support and new equipment. But we are currently restricted in our activities because certain projects that are very important cannot be approved. Solar panels, for example, as the equipment is very expensive and involves risks. But this will come to an end eventually and the projects will go ahead. So I have a big request in advance: we know how every major undertaking involves a series of administrative procedures. To make this a little more transparent and faster,» remarked Ihor Furkalo.

Ihor Furkalo (left), Director of «Lactalis Mykolaiv», noted that administrative services need to be more transparent and faster for businesses. Photo: NikVesti

Ivan Sakal, director of the «Agrofusion» group of companies, expressed the view that agriculture will remain the country’s backbone, partly due to its geographical characteristics.

However, businesses are facing obstacles to exporting their products to Europe, and entrepreneurs are being advised to enter African markets.

«We understand that, for example, Ukraine could theoretically feed around 300 million people right now, and in total that figure is one billion. We’ve been dealing with this problem for the last 10 years; it’s simply fierce resistance to our products… But we must always understand the logistics: the richest market is, of course, Europe. Naturally, this is the number one priority for everyone. Because the more processing involved, the more difficult it is to export to Europe specifically,» emphasised Ivan Sakal.

He also stressed the need to take a holistic view of various sectors and tackle the issue of over-regulation. As an example, he cited the construction of a medium-sized processing plant. According to Ivan Sakal, it takes 375 days to obtain the necessary permits, which is why not all businesses make it to the final stage.

Ivan Sakal (right), director of the «Agrofusion» group of companies, gave an example of the lengthy process of obtaining business permits. Photo: NikVesti

Entrepreneurs highlighted the need for support for business owners and for communication between businesses and the local authorities, as businesses are currently facing many challenges.

Participants at the presentation of the Mykolaiv region regional action plan. Photo: NikVesti

Participants of the presentation of the regional action plan of Mykolaiv region. Photo: NikVesti

Participants of the presentation of the regional action plan of Mykolaiv region. Photo: NikVesti

Participants of the presentation of the regional action plan of Mykolaiv region. Photo: NikVesti

It is worth recalling that the new rules on the fitting out of shelters have caused outrage amongst Ukrainian business owners. They are asking the government to review the requirements, allow more time for preparation and provide financial assistance.

Following petitions against the new requirements for shelters, the government has decided to review the rules for businesses. Entrepreneurs have been promised more time to comply, but the government does not plan to abandon the requirements entirely.