At events abroad, Roman Matys sees three groups of investors. Some are refining forecasts before entering the market. Others fear the war and are waiting for it to end. The third group is already investing or preparing to. Sceptics, in his experience, are very few.
His answer to the question in the title: in some sectors it is already too late to fight for market leadership in Ukraine. Those who came earlier are taking positions now.
Back in 2018 he said that Ukraine could become Europe’s new China. European companies are moving production closer to their markets, and Ukrainian regions can take part of it.
Examples from energy at the time of writing: Japan’s role in rebuilding the power system, Energoatom’s memorandum with Rolls-Royce SMR on small modular reactors, plans for the Khmelnytskyi nuclear plant, a network of EV charging stations, a DTEK wind farm and a Gaztranzit bioethanol plant. In industry: HEAD’s plant in Vinnytsia, a British American Tobacco shop in Pryluky, a Magellan Investment Holdings glass factory in Kirovohrad region, and Baykar’s production.
Investors need war-risk insurance and clear special rules for doing business, and talks on this are under way. Investing in Ukraine today, in Roman Matys’s view, is also a contribution to victory, because defence and economic development go on side by side.
If you are looking for a project in Ukraine, start here: Investment opportunities in Ukraine.
Original (in Ukrainian): matys.com.ua