Gdańsk Declaration on Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine

2. We recall the Rome Declaration of Intent on Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine, signed at the occasion of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, on 11 July 2025, in Rome, Italy, which launched the Coalition, and underscored the urgent need to address the long-term recovery of the Ukrainian research and innovation sector for the benefit of Ukraine’s modern and sustainable recovery.

3. We recall that since the launch of the Coalition, to better enable a coordinated and multi-stakeholder approach, we established the Communities of Interest, as self-organised formats to address key challenges and objectives amongst the Members of the Coalition.

4. We recognise the continued severe impacts of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences on the Ukrainian research and innovation sector, including in the non-government controlled areas of Ukraine, marked by the destruction of research institutions, displacement of researchers, funding shortages, and worsening working conditions, as outlined in the list of urgent needs presented to the Coalition by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

5. We recognise the need to strengthen Ukraine’s integration and role in the global scientific community, including the European Research Area and reaffirm the vital contribution of international cooperation and partnerships in advancing research and innovation in Ukraine.

6. We acknowledge the ongoing efforts undertaken by Ukraine, the members of the Coalition, and international partners to sustain and rebuild the Ukrainian research and innovation ecosystem, and the importance of further enhancing support, including through international cooperation and coordination.

7. We hereby, gathered on the occasion of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026, at the first High-level Steering Committee, in Gdańsk, Poland, reaffirm our collective ambition and the key focus areas under which the Coalition will continue working to develop a shared understanding of Ukraine’s challenges, to mobilise and coordinate support for Ukrainian research and innovation ecosystem, and to make research and innovation pillars of Ukraine’s modern and sustainable recovery.

Towards an approach to science, research and innovation in Ukraine’s recovery

8. We reiterate our firm commitment to address the need for both urgent and long-term recovery of the Ukrainian research and innovation sector to benefit Ukraine’s modern and sustainable societal and economic recovery.

9. We acknowledge the findings of the Technical-Level Meetings, convened under the Coalition, and their role in outlining the persistent challenges to the Ukrainian science, research and innovation sector, as well as the centrality of this sector to Ukraine’s modern and sustainable recovery.

10. We express our intent to foster a coordinated approach involving a multitude of stakeholders to enable science, research and innovation to contribute to Ukraine’s modern and sustainable recovery.

11. We acknowledge that as a multi-stakeholder initiative, uniting governments, public administrations, international organisations, research institutions, civil society and the private sector, the Coalition is uniquely positioned to mobilise a diverse set of actors and resources to address the challenges and needs of Ukrainian science, research and innovation.

12. We recognise the evolving international architecture and, the necessity to coordinate resources from institutional donors, government agencies and development banks, as well as the need to strategically organise the work of the Coalition with a view of enabling sufficient and impactful funding in order to support the contribution of science, research and innovation towards Ukraine’s modern and sustainable recovery.

13. To this end, and in view of the future integration of Ukraine in the European Research Area, we declare our shared ambition to support efforts aimed at enabling the Government of Ukraine, following the end of the war, to make progress towards the investment of 3% of GDP in Research and Development, in line with the overall objective within the European Research Area most recently reiterated by the European Council in its conclusions of 17-18 April 2024 and in the Budapest Declaration of 8 November 2024.

14. We recognise that such an approach should be pursued under three pillars.

I. Sustaining and strengthening Ukrainian science, research and innovation

15. We recognise that sustaining research activities in Ukraine, including through institutional support, remains an imperative to preserve capacities, minimise brain drain while supporting researcher mobility, and create attractive conditions for researchers to return to Ukraine and allow to unlock the full potential of science, research and innovation in Ukraine.

16. We recognise the importance of supporting Ukraine’s continued and future participation in international research organisations, international research networks, and research infrastructures

17. We acknowledge that efforts to develop partnerships with Ukrainian research organisations, to strengthen their capacities to participate in international research consortia, and provide opportunities for joint funding should continue, including through joint calls, co-funded programmes, institutional partnerships and other mechanisms that strengthen Ukraine’s long-term research capacities. Such efforts enable researchers and innovators to develop and sustain their activities, while funding sources are limited.

18. We recognise the value of facilitating the access to research and technology infrastructures and equipment, enabling researchers and innovators to continue work in Ukraine while offering opportunities for greater international collaboration.

19. We highlight the Ukrainian diaspora’s role in building networks and partnerships which has offered novel opportunities for Ukrainian researchers and innovators, and the need to continue supporting it.

II. Reforming and recovering of Ukrainian science, research and innovation

20. We note our role, in coordination with Ukraine and relevant stakeholders, in building and supporting capacities, plans and initiatives, which can effectively direct funds towards the reconstruction of Ukrainian science, research and innovation.

21. We recognise the objective of supporting Ukraine in developing excellence in science, research and innovation and to create improved conditions for research and innovation in Ukraine. This requires efforts to build conditions and capacities, including administrative ones, for research and grant management, research infrastructure management and knowledge valorisation.

22. We recognise that a need persists to further support the design, development and implementation of reform measures in Ukraine, acknowledging those already undertaken by the Ukrainian Government, with the aim to create favourable conditions aligned with best practices amongst its international partners, for developing Ukrainian science, research and innovation and integrating it into the European Research Area.

23. We acknowledge that the experiences and models of Ukraine’s partner countries constitute important input to support Ukraine in identifying and formulating appropriate reform measures of its research and innovation ecosystem.

24. We recognise the significant challenge to reconstruct the material and non-material damages to Ukraine’s science, research and innovation sectors, caused by the war.

25. We recognise, as part of Ukraine’s recovery, the importance to invest in research and technology infrastructures, including existing infrastructures in Ukraine, as well as recover structural damages of Ukrainian research institutions and universities, in line with national, regional and local priorities.

26. We recognise the need to foster cooperation between the public sector, academia, the private sector, and society at large in designing and implementing appropriate policies for knowledge transfer and valorisation, in view of ensuring that science, research and innovation contribute towards innovative solutions to societal challenges and promote sustainable and inclusive growth, both on local and national level.

27. We support the objective of creating attractive and competitive conditions for researchers and innovators in Ukraine, including access to research infrastructure, fair remuneration, professional development opportunities and international cooperation.

III. Leveraging Ukrainian science, research and innovation for Ukraine’s modern and sustainable recovery

28. We recognise that science, research and innovation can play a transformative role in enabling the modern and sustainable recovery of Ukraine as well as in contributing to the economic development and competitiveness of Ukraine, and its partners.

29. We note the significant advances made by Ukrainian research and innovation actors since the beginning of the war and underline the importance of strengthening Ukrainian research and innovation not just for the future of Ukraine, but also to strengthen global and European research and innovation and resilience.

30. We note that for Ukraine’s recovery, science, research and innovation have the potential to develop key sectors of Ukraine’s economy and society, such as education, energy, digital transformation, natural environment, bioeconomy, social resilience, healthcare, cultural heritage, industries, and cities and local communities, while offering innovative solutions. Strengthening Ukrainian science, research and innovation will also strengthen global and European research and innovation.

31. We emphasise the role of the Coalition in leveraging the potential of science, research and innovation, and the need for developing policies, strategic plans, initiatives and programmes, which can support the effective definition of priorities, allowing the most impactful allocation of funds for this purpose. This includes efforts to fund research in key sectors addressing challenges faced in Ukraine’s recovery and enabling scientific expertise to support Ukrainian decision-making and Ukraine’s accession path to the European Union.

32. We recognise the importance of strengthening science-for-policy mechanisms and scientific advisory capacities to support evidence-informed decision-making in Ukraine’s recovery and European integration process.

33. We recognise the need to identify key technologies, societal priorities, and strategic research fields, taking into account Ukraine’s specific needs with a view to a modern and sustainable recovery, in order to ascertain that the allocated funding will be used in a most effective manner.

34. We acknowledge that to achieve the best possible contribution of science, research and innovation to Ukraine’s long-term recovery and resilience, we need to enable the participation of both Ukrainian and international scientific community in these efforts and to work with and strengthen existing instruments and capacities, including for fundamental research as a foundation for long-term excellence in research and innovation, in Ukraine and in designing new instruments, and promote science, research and innovation, while supporting the development of new instruments and capacities.

Regular Consultation under the International Coalition for Science, Research, and Innovation in Ukraine

35. To facilitate the Coalition’s contributions to the modern and sustainable recovery of Ukraine, we agree that the Coalition’s Regular Consultation Mechanism will facilitate the development of plans and initiatives contributing to leveraging science, research and innovation for Ukraine’s modern and sustainable recovery.

36. We recognise that the High-Level Steering Committee should take stock of such plans and initiatives and provide political steering and strategic guidance to align our approach on key priorities for science, research and innovation in Ukraine’s recovery.

37. We agree that the Communities of Interest should inform the Technical-Level Meetings of the Coalition of their activities to mobilise support for Ukrainian science, research and innovation and propose plans, recommendations and initiatives, involving Ukrainian stakeholders as appropriate, contributing to leveraging science, research and innovation for Ukraine’s modern and sustainable recovery

38. Signed by the Members of the International Coalition for Science, Research and Innovation in Ukraine, in Gdańsk, Poland, on 26 June 2026, during the first meeting of the High-Level Steering Committee.

[Signatories]