On June 8, 2026, an online working meeting was held by the project team of the international initiative AGREE, funded by the Swedish Institute (SI). The meeting was attended by project coordinators and researchers from the consortium’s partner universities, namely KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH, Sweden), State University of Trade and Economics (SUTE, Ukraine), and Lviv Polytechnic National University (NULP, Ukraine). 

The meeting was opened by the AGREE Project Coordinator, Viktor Kordas, Senior Advisor for International Project Support at the International Relations Office of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden). He outlined the key tasks of the current implementation phase and emphasized the importance of coordinating actions between Ukrainian and European partners. In accordance with the agenda, university coordinators reported on the progress of scheduled activities, the development of educational content, and the administration of institutional resources, presenting, in particular, the status of the official project website https://agree.sute.edu.ua, developed by the SUTE’s team. 

Key Decisions and Further Tasks Following the Meeting: 

1. Discussion of the Educational Course Structure: 

Participants thoroughly discussed the draft structure of the comprehensive educational course, the development of which is one of the primary tasks of the AGREE project. Following the discussion, the modules and topics for the part of the course developed by the SUTE team were officially approved. 

2. Training for the Target Audience: 

A target indicator was set to ensure that at least 100 end users (including farmers, agricultural producers, agribusiness representatives, and relevant sector associations) complete the developed course. 

3. Knowledge Scaling via Train-the-Trainer Programs: 

A Train-the-Trainer (ToT) concept was formulated based at SUTE and NULP. The program envisages training for project researchers, who will subsequently involve university staff, PhD students, and undergraduate students to act as cascade multipliers of the knowledge gained. 

4. Expanding the Project Partner Network: 

The consortium agreed to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with key stakeholders. Prof. Taras Karavayev’s initiative to establish the first partnership with the L. Pohorilyi Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute of Forecasting and Testing of Machinery and Technologies for Agricultural Production (Doslidnytske, Bila Tserkva District, Kyiv Region) was fully endorsed. 

5. Focus on Practical IT Solutions: 

It was agreed to focus on the application of existing digital and AI solutions for the agricultural sector, facilitating their active adoption among domestic farms and agricultural enterprises. 

6. Field Testing of Innovations: 

It was decided to identify and select experimental test plots for the practical deployment and demonstration of innovative technologies and solutions within the scope of the project. 

The meeting took place in a constructive and productive atmosphere. The established benchmarks allow the partner universities as consortium members to sharply focus their efforts on preparing high-quality educational modules and driving the practical implementation of the outcomes achieved. 

Stay tuned for updates on our official website! 

Taras Karavayev, 

AGREE Project Coordinator at SUTE, 
Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor at the Department of Commodity Science and Customs Affairs