According to U-LEAD with Europe, the process of creating the NEB Academy Hub (New European Bauhaus) has begun in Ukraine. The announcement was made during a dedicated event where participants presented their vision for the new structure.
The Hub will take the form of an open ecosystem rather than a closed institution. It will serve as a national platform for training, skills development, knowledge exchange and cross-sector cooperation. Its purpose is to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and modernisation.
European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall noted that the New European Bauhaus is helping Ukraine build a more sustainable and inclusive future while preserving local culture and identity. She also highlighted the symbolic significance of the initiative, as Ukraine is becoming the first country outside the European to host NEB Academy Hubs.
Olena Shuliak, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Building, Local Governance, Regional Development and Urban Planning, stressed that recovery is not only about roads, buildings and concrete. It should be viewed more broadly as an issue of quality of life, safety, inclusiveness, sustainability and preserving the identity of every community.
Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksii Riabykin stated that the NEB is about harmony, balance and responsibility for the spaces in which people live. According to him, the Hub can become a practical tool for strengthening the capacities of communities, public authorities and professional groups. He also emphasised that Ukraine must not only adopt European practices but also be able to apply them in line with local contexts — from frontline territories to communities in the central and western regions.
Daniel Boucher, Director of GIZ Ukraine, speaking on behalf of U-LEAD with Europe and partner programmes, noted that rebuilding the country requires more than resources alone. It also requires skills, coordination and a long-term vision. The Hub will help address critical capacity gaps and promote cooperation across different sectors.
Representatives of the implementing organisations, Elina Polianska (Metalab) and Anna Boichuk (Promprylad Foundation), highlighted an existing challenge. Ukraine already has numerous initiatives focused on sustainable reconstruction, energy efficiency, public space development and citizen engagement. However, these efforts often remain fragmented. One of the Hub’s objectives is to bring them together into a systematic process and make successful practices visible and accessible for scaling up.
The NEB Academy Hub in Ukraine is being established with the support of U-LEAD with Europe, the JGURA Integrated Urban Recovery Programme and EU4Reconstruction (Component 1). The implementation process will be carried out by Metalab and the Promprylad Foundation.
During the initial phase, the focus will be on building a community of partners, collecting and systematising Ukrainian sustainable reconstruction practices, developing educational courses and supporting the testing of approaches within communities.
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