On April 21, 2026, the “Synergy of Development” Forum took place in Ivano-Frankivsk, organized by the Regional Development Agency of Ivano-Frankivsk Region with the support of the UCORD Project.
The event brought together representatives of regional authorities, territorial communities, academia, civil society, and the business sector to address a key question: how to ensure regional economic growth through the effective use of public and private investment.
The practical part of the forum was held in a “World Café” format, applied in the region for the first time with methodological support from the UCORD Project. Participants — representatives of territorial communities — presented over 60 public investment project ideas, developed in cooperation with the Regional Development Agency of Ivano-Frankivsk Region within the UCORD “Regional Future” program.
The ideas were structured across five key thematic areas:
- investment attraction;
- SME development;
- green transition and energy efficiency;
- municipal infrastructure;
- human capital development.
A key outcome of the forum was a shift in approaches to project development. Together with experts, participants focused on moving from initiatives centered solely on construction or renovation toward projects with strategic alignment, economic viability, and long-term impact. This includes initiatives that create jobs, increase tax revenues, ensure more efficient use of public funds, and improve the overall quality of life for residents.
The forum resulted in a shared understanding that institutional capacity at both regional and local levels, along with the quality of project preparation, is a decisive factor for success and enhanced competitiveness.
It is these factors that unlock opportunities to integrate projects into investment plans and unified project portfolios, as well as to attract financing — not only from local budgets, but also through access to state support and funding from international organizations. At the same time, the competitiveness of local and regional economies is measured by the level of value added generated by businesses operating at the local or regional level.
The “Regional Future” program for non-pilot RDAs is part of the Swiss-Ukrainian project “Cohesion and Regional Development of Ukraine” (UCORD), implemented with the support of Switzerland by NIRAS Sweden AB.