From entrepreneurship support and regional development to municipal cooperation and innovation ecosystems, the past nine days have demonstrated the power of knowledge exchange in shaping stronger local communities.

Representatives of Ukrainian municipalities and regional development institutions have successfully completed a study visit across Slovenia, exploring practical approaches to local economic development, regional growth, and municipal capacity building.

Throughout the programme, participants gained first-hand insight into Slovenia’s approach to regional development, business support systems, municipal cooperation, and the implementation of national development policies at the local level. The delegation engaged with representatives of ministries, regional development agencies, municipalities, business support organisations, and development experts from across the country.

The programme included visits to the Ljubljana University Incubator, SPIRIT Slovenia, the Slovenian Regional Development Fund, the Regional Development Agency of Koroška, the UNESCO Global Geopark Karavanke, the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, the Regional Development Agency Podravje, Venture Factory, and the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region.

Participants also met with mayors and municipal representatives from several Slovenian regions, gaining valuable insights into local governance, intermunicipal cooperation, investment promotion, and community-led development.

Through workshops, field visits, and discussions, participants explored topics such as entrepreneurship support infrastructure, project preparation and management, EU cohesion policy, cross-border cooperation, circular economy initiatives, SME support mechanisms, innovation ecosystems, and tools for strengthening local resilience.

The programme also provided a platform for Ukrainian participants to present their own experiences, challenges, and development priorities, fostering meaningful peer-to-peer exchange and identifying opportunities for future cooperation.

The concluding session focused on reflecting on lessons learned, identifying Slovenian practices that could be adapted to the Ukrainian context, and discussing practical next steps for strengthening local and regional development capacities.

The programme concluded with closing remarks by His Excellency Petro Beshta, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Slovenia, who highlighted the importance of international partnerships, knowledge exchange, and continued support for Ukrainian municipalities and regions as they work towards sustainable development, resilience, and recovery.

A sincere thank you to all institutions, experts, speakers, municipal representatives, and participants whose engagement and contributions made this programme possible. Together, they helped strengthen the foundations for future cooperation between Slovenia and Ukraine and demonstrated the value of learning from one another’s experiences.

This programme was prepared in cooperation with U-LEAD with Europe and implemented in partnership between Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development of Republic of Slovenia and Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.

This programme is supported by Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia through the Slovenian Aid and Partneships programme.