On February 10, the international online conference “Profitable Agribusiness 2026: Strategies. Innovations. Investments” was held, bringing together representatives of agribusiness, industry associations, investors, the scientific community and experts from different regions of Ukraine. Holding the event in wartime conditions and energy supply restrictions emphasized the industry’s demand for a systematic professional dialogue to increase the sustainability of the agro-industrial complex, rethink development models and find practical solutions to strengthen the competitiveness of Ukrainian agribusiness.
Sumy National Agrarian University was involved in the conference not only as a participant, but as a full-fledged institutional partner. The event was co-organized by Kateryna Zvierieva, a postgraduate student at the Department of Management named after Professor L. I. Mykhaylova of the SNAU, the founder of the agro-media agency Sapienza.media, an international consultant to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the executive director of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association. The combination of her practical experience in the agricultural sector with academic training at SNAU contributed to the formation of a conference program focused on the real needs of business and professional industry communities.
SNAU’s expert position at the conference was presented by the university’s vice-rector for scientific and international work, Honored Economist of Ukraine Yurii Danko. In his report, he outlined the systemic challenges of staffing the agricultural sector in conditions of war, internal and external migration, and also emphasized the need to rethink the role of higher education institutions in the formation of human capital for the agro-industrial complex. Special attention was paid to the development of sustainable partnerships between universities, agribusiness and communities as the basis for training specialists capable of working in conditions of high uncertainty and rapid technological change.
The conference topics covered a wide range of issues: from the development of processing and the formation of added value in the agricultural sector to the implementation of energy-efficient solutions in agricultural infrastructure, digitalization of production and management processes, adaptation of business models to new logistics realities and the search for promising niches for small and medium- sized producers. The discussion of these areas reflects the nationwide demand for the transition of the agro-industrial complex from a raw material model to a more technologically complex and innovative one.
For Sumy National Agrarian University, participation in the preparation and expert filling of such events is of strategic importance. Such events create an environment for the integration of university science into the practice of management decisions of agrarian business, expand the university’s partner networks and contribute to the updating of educational programs in accordance with current market needs. In the long term, this strengthens the position of SNAU as one of the key centers for the formation of modern agricultural expertise and training specialists for the restoration and development of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine.
