White Paper on Cross-border resilience of critical transport infrastructure in Ukraine and impact on the economy and society

In the framework of the TwinForHope capacity building, the University of Birmingham (UoB) twined and stood with their counterparts to support Ukraine’s Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (IFNUL) and co-organised a workshop to strengthen the resilience of the war-torn country. The workshop: Cross-border resilience of critical transport infrastructure in Ukraine and impact on the economy and society, took place in Warsaw, Poland on the 28^th of July 2023. The workshop was attended in-person and online by 29 academics from the University of Birmingham and the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, as well as decision makers and consultants from the UK and Ukraine and representatives from the local government of the city of Lviv.

The theme of the TwinForHope capacity building is on ‘Identify, Sovereignty and Resilience’, and this workshop is part of a broader series of academic development workshops that directly contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction and development. The workshop achieved its aim which was to bring IFNUL and UoB academics and researchers together with NGOs and community organisations to build capacity for addressing post-conflict reconstruction.

This White Paper includes the facts and opinions expressed during the workshop. For each summary there is a visualisation representative of the position paper of the workshop. The White Paper also includes the main outcome of the workshop: Ukraine's post-war recovery journey necessitates resilience, sustainability, and digitalisation. The Lviv region, with its strategic location and connections to the EU, holds a significant role in the nation's rebuilt and progress. Particular emphasis should be given on the railway sector, roads and bridge in the area as well as incentives for strengthening IT services and software engineering.