From 3D Technologies in Healthcare to Mental Health: How Ukraine and Its Partners Are Building a Recovery System at URC 2026
In Gdańsk, the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026) is taking place, serving as a platform for consolidating international support and stimulating investment in the recovery and development of our country. URC 2026 has brought together a wide range of participants, including heads of state and government, representatives of partner countries’ governments, national parliaments, international organizations and financial institutions, business leaders, local government authorities, and civil society organizations.
One of the key events of URC 2026 was a workshop initiated by the Olena Zelenska Foundation, which focused on discussing comprehensive solutions for creating a safe educational environment for Ukrainian children and opportunities for scaling these solutions.
Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Mariia Karchevych presented information during the workshop on the impact of the war in Ukraine on children’s physical and emotional health, behavior, sleep, and learning. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 1.5 million Ukrainian children are at risk of developing mental health disorders or are already experiencing their symptoms. The response to these threats is not only the development of a mental health support system in Ukraine, ensuring that every child in need can receive psychosocial assistance either from a family doctor or in mental health centers. It also includes systematic work on creating safe spaces for children that combine psychosocial support, opportunities for learning and development, and the formation of social connections.
In addition, the mental health support program “How are you?” initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska contributes to the development of intersectoral cooperation and the establishment of a more accessible psychological support system.
Within URC 2026, the Ukrainian delegation also held a series of meetings aimed at strengthening international partnerships and attracting resources for the recovery and development of Ukraine’s healthcare system.
In particular, during a meeting with the Director General of Expertise France, Jérémie Pellet, the Deputy Regional Director of Expertise France, Alisa Rozanova, and other representatives of the organization, the parties announced the launch of four joint initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacity of Ukrainian healthcare through specialist training and the introduction of innovative technologies. These initiatives include educational programs for Ukrainian maxillofacial surgeons and healthcare managers. Ukrainian engineers will also undergo training in France under a biomedical 3D printing program. A hospital-to-hospital and university-based 3D printing platform for prosthetics and orthotics is planned to be established (based on the French PRIM3D model, AP-HP). This will allow Ukrainian patients to receive faster access to individualized prostheses and orthoses directly in hospitals. The platform will later become a shared resource for clinical training of doctors and for the development of Ukraine’s own engineering and medical expertise in 3D printing.
During a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea for Economic Affairs, Park Jonghan, the sides discussed strengthening Ukrainian–Korean cooperation in implementing projects for the restoration of Ukrainian hospitals, the development of rehabilitation infrastructure, and the modernization of the healthcare system. A number of projects in these areas are already being implemented with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
With representatives of the French company Ellipse Projects, which specializes in the design, financing, and construction of healthcare facilities, ongoing projects in Ukraine were discussed. In particular, in the city of Nizhyn, the company is constructing a surgical building and developing a network of rehabilitation facilities in the Vinnytsia region. The total funding for these facilities amounts to €50 million. Discussions also covered the expansion of cooperation and the attraction of additional funding for new infrastructure projects.
Within the partnership between the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Kyiv Regional State (Military) Administration, and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, an agreement was reached on cooperation in the construction of a modern orthopedic and trauma center with an orthotics and prosthetics laboratory at the Kyiv Regional Clinical Hospital. The possibility of financial support for the project through the Development Related Infrastructure Investment Vehicle (DRIVE) mechanism, in the amount of $6.59 million, was discussed. A modern multidisciplinary medical complex will be created where patients — including military personnel and civilians affected by the war — will be able to undergo a full cycle of recovery: from treatment to physical and psychological rehabilitation and social adaptation.
The results of URC 2026 demonstrate that the international community is ready not only to support the physical reconstruction of the country, but also to invest in human capital development and the mental health of Ukrainians, ensuring Ukraine’s sustainable development in the future.