RIFF Thematic Summit in Krakow as a platform for dialogue on the future of research infrastructures in Ukraine

On May 19–20, 2026, Myroslava Shchetinina, a leading specialist of the National Contact Point “Research Infrastructures” at the Zaporizhia Polytechnic National University, took part in the Thematic Summit of the RIFF project – “Research Infrastructures for the Future of Ukraine: Roadmap for Sustained Growth and Recovery”, which took place in Krakow (Poland).

The event was held at the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Center – one of the most modern research complexes in Europe, which operates as part of the Jagiellonian University. The summit was dedicated to the development of research infrastructures for the future of Ukraine, strengthening international scientific cooperation and restoring the state’s scientific and research potential. The summit brought together representatives of scientific institutions, specialized experts and international partners around a common vision of sustainable development of science as an integral part of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

The summit program was structured in accordance with the scientific directions of ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures). This year’s event focused on 3 key domains: Energy (ENE), Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) and Physical Sciences and Engineering (PSE). The opening of the summit was accompanied by a welcoming speech by the Director of the SOLARIS Center, Jakub Szlachetka, a presentation of the RIFF project by the coordinator Ondřej Gradil (Masaryk University), and a report by Michal Mlynarchik (SOLARIS Center) on the ecosystem of research infrastructures in Europe. After the plenary opening, the work continued in parallel thematic sections. The interactive format combined reports from the heads of leading research infrastructures with panel discussions on current challenges and provided an in-depth study of the issues of integrating Ukrainian research infrastructures into the European Research Area (ERA).

Special attention during the summit was paid to the “Roadmap for the Restoration and Development of Ukraine’s Research Infrastructure” — a key result of the RIFF project, designed to serve as a strategic guideline for national funding and a reliable coordination tool for international donors. The RIFF project is funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme and coordinated by Masaryk University (Czech Republic) with the participation of a broad consortium of European and Ukrainian partners, including four scientific institutions and organizations of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The RIFF Summit has become an important platform for presenting Ukraine’s scientific potential, exploring ways of integration with ESFRI research infrastructures, and establishing new international partnerships – both for the development of scientific and research potential and for the sustainable recovery of the country. The results of the summit will directly influence the formation of national priorities in the RIFF Roadmap, and therefore the prospects for the development of Ukrainian scientific infrastructure as a whole.

The experience gained during the summit, the contacts established with leading European research organizations, and the in-depth understanding of the mechanisms for forming the “RIFF Roadmap” open up a real prospect for Zaporizhia Polytechnic National University to join this strategic document. The inclusion of the university in the Roadmap of Research Infrastructures of Ukraine will mean official recognition of its scientific potential at the level of the European Research Area, access to international funding, and the opportunity to become a full participant in pan-European research consortia. For a university located in a region directly affected by the war, this is not just an academic ambition – it is a strategic tool for recovery and development, capable of attracting international resources, preserving research personnel and laying the foundation for the post-war revival of the region through science and innovation!