Kick-off GreenChem Accelerator 2026 kick-starts at Kyiv Polytechnic
Recently, the Kick-off GreenChem Accelerator 2026 has commenced at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, bringing together 11 teams of innovators, 30 mentors and international experts, and new solutions in the field of green engineering.
The project is carried out by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the Centre for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale University, supported by the Global Environment Facility. The Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Centre acts as the national executor of this project, whilst the Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine Innovation Ecosystem serves as a partner in scaling up innovation in Ukraine.
The project is intended to develop solutions in the fields of green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing.
Over the course of 12 weeks, participants are expected to attend training sessions, lectures and workshops conducted by Ukrainian and international experts in entrepreneurship, green chemistry, innovation and startup development. In addition, the format of the Accelerator includes face-to-face consultations to help develop business models and assess market potential, as well as opportunities to receive microgrants to test technologies and develop prototypes. Participants will also visit companies and establish direct contacts with industrial partners to pilot solutions. At the same time, the Accelerator offers support to researchers and students seeking to transform early-stage technological developments into fast-growing, commercially successful startups.
It is important to note that two Kyiv Polytechnic teams are among the finalists of a competition within the framework of the project – representatives of the Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management and the Faculty of Automation, Industrial Engineering and Ecology.
The project will culminate in a Demo Day, where teams will showcase the results of their work to potential investors. The final will empower winners to present their best projects internationally under the auspices of Yale and they will automatically qualify for the forthcoming 2026 Sikorsky Challenge International Festival of Innovation Projects.
