How Ukraine is Shaping a New Technological Ecosystem: Highlights from the 2U Tech Forum

On May 28, the 2U Tech Forum took place at UNIT.City — a technology conference organized by UNIT.City and the Diia.City Union. The event gathered over 2000 participants, including representatives from the government, business, tech companies, startups, investors, students, and members of the innovation ecosystem.

Throughout the day, the forum featured keynote speeches, discussions on GovTech, presentations of defense-tech solutions, startup pitches, and thematic sessions with representatives from the Ukrainian and international tech community.

Among the speakers at the forum were Oksen Lisovyi, Oleksandr Tsybort, Oleksandr Zakusylo, Nataliia Denikeieva, Anastasiia Rostalna, Oleksandr Kurkin, Anna Bulakh, Serhii Zhadan, Bill Reichert, Yevhen Kahanovskyi, Oleksandr Yefremov, Kateryna Frolova, Maryna Shananina, Klym Savchuk, Denys Kurbatov, Anastasiia Mishkina, Danylo Tsvok, Daniil Vakhovskyi, Oleg Berestovyi, and dozens of other leaders from the tech, investment, and innovation community.

Four Stages on Technology, Investment, and Defense

The forum's program was divided among four thematic stages: Main Stage, AI Stage, Defense Stage, and Startup Stage.

On the Main Stage, participants discussed Ukraine's role on the global technology map by 2030, the collaboration between business and government, and the prospects for the development of the Ukrainian tech ecosystem. One of the central discussions was the Global Talks panel "Why Global Tech Companies Choose Ukraine," focusing on the operation of international businesses in the Ukrainian market and the potential of local teams even amid war.

AI Stage: From Trend to Practical Application

A separate block of the program was dedicated to artificial intelligence and its impact on business processes and government services.

Alongside the stage moderator, the AI assistant Orion interacted with guests and participated in real-time discussions.

Among the most attended formats were Human or AI? and "Battle of Intellects: Expert vs. Orion." Participants observed how a human and AI proposed solutions for business cases, after which the audience determined the winner by voting. This format vividly demonstrated the main idea of the forum: the future of technology is not about competition between humans and AI, but about finding synergy between them.

Defense Tech: Solutions for the Front and Global Market

At the Defense Stage, discussions focused on scaling defense technologies, exporting defense-tech solutions, and developing the Ukrainian military-tech ecosystem.

Special attention was given to digital battlefield management systems and the experiences of teams creating products for defense needs.

Within the Startup Showcase, defense startups presented their developments to industry representatives and a jury. The winner was the startup Legit Force, which is working on a system of smart minefields with remote control and monitoring capabilities.

The forum also featured a special format, Defense MythBusters, dedicated to common myths about modern warfare and military technologies.

Startup World Cup Ukraine

The Startup Stage served as the platform for the Ukrainian final of the Startup World Cup Ukraine — the national selection for the international startup competition Startup World Cup.

Participants presented their projects to investors and international partners, competing for the opportunity to represent Ukraine in the global final in San Francisco and vie for a $1 million investment.

The selection winner was Jetbeep — a developer of autonomous parcel locker technology for logistics and delivery.

Additionally, the stage hosted the debate "Crash Test: Investors vs. Startups," focusing on investor expectations, reasons for funding refusals, and current trends in the venture market.

An Event for the Tech Community

Among the special formats of the forum was a talk by writer and serviceman Serhii Zhadan about the "Charter" brigade, an acoustic concert by Bahroma, a stand-up performance by Vlad Halitsky, and a final DJ set.

The event once again demonstrated that the Ukrainian tech ecosystem is not just about business or IT, but also about a professional environment and collaboration between people and companies.

The 2U Tech Forum 2026 became a platform for discussing the development of the tech sector in Ukraine, current challenges, and new opportunities for the industry.