Ukraine continues to invent even amid the prolonged full-scale war. Ukrainian researchers, engineers, educators, students and inventors are creating new technological solutions, protecting the results of their work and putting them into practice.

In 2025, Ukrainian applicants filed 5,060 applications for inventions and utility models — 14% more than in 2023. A significant share of inventive activity is generated by educational and research institutions: in 2025, educational institutions filed 2,363 applications, while research institutions filed 556. Among government sectors, organizations under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine filed the largest number of applications — 1,934.

The number of results receiving legal protection is also increasing: in 2025, 3,718 utility models were registered in Ukraine — 37% more than in 2023.

The positive trend has continued in 2026. During the first three months alone, Ukrainian applicants filed 1,485 applications for inventions and utility models — 40.1% more than during the same period in 2025. The number of invention applications increased by 54.7%, while utility model applications increased by 37.1%. In the first quarter of 2026, educational institutions filed 746 applications, while research institutions filed 119. Kyiv, Kharkiv region and Dnipropetrovsk region remain the geographical centres of inventive activity, accounting together for more than half of applications filed by Ukrainian applicants.

“Behind these figures are specific research projects, developments and technological solutions, as well as the intensive work of teams of scientists and engineers. It is important for us that strong research results do not end at the stage of a research report or patent without further progress, but reach practical application, production and the market. This is precisely the principle behind the renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Prize: we want to recognise teams that have already managed to transform a scientific development into an applied result, a technology or an innovation that works, creates added value and delivers results for the country,” said Denys Kurbatov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Ahead of Inventor and Rationalizer Day, which Ukraine will celebrate on 19 September, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine announces the competition for the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Prize for the Development and Implementation of Innovative Technologies. This year, the competition will be held in an updated format and will focus on technologies that have already been put into practical use.

The main objective of the competition is to recognise those who have created a new innovative technology and ensured its practical implementation. For the first time, the competition includes four key categories.

“Knowledge-Intensive Innovations” — the Prize is awarded for developed and implemented results of applied research and scientific and technological activities.

“Innovative Solutions in Economic Activity” — for the implementation of innovative products, services, processes or business models aimed at addressing current socio-economic development challenges, improving economic efficiency and enhancing the competitiveness of the Ukrainian economy.

“Innovation Infrastructure” — for facilitating technology transfer, the commercialisation of scientific and scientific-technological results and their implementation in the real sector of the economy, scaling up scientific and technological projects, and bringing innovative products manufactured in Ukraine to the market.

“Special Prize” — awarded for research and development whose results are aimed at ensuring national security and defence.

A key eligibility requirement is the actual application of innovative technologies in the real sector of the economy, the introduction of innovative products manufactured in Ukraine on domestic and international markets based on the results of research and scientific-technological activities, as well as the creation of added value.

How the Competition Works

The competition is conducted in accordance with the Regulation on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Prize for the Development and Implementation of Innovative Technologies, approved by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Applications are submitted through the National Electronic Scientific and Information System in four categories:

• “Knowledge-Intensive Innovations”;
• “Innovative Solutions in Economic Activity”;
• “Innovation Infrastructure”;
• “Special Prize”.

Depending on the category, competition proposals may be initiated by:

• higher education institutions, research institutions and business entities — in the categories “Knowledge-Intensive Innovations”, “Innovative Solutions in Economic Activity” and “Special Prize”;
• innovation entities and technology transfer entities — in the categories “Innovation Infrastructure” and “Special Prize”.

The author team nominated by the initiator of a competition proposal must consist of at least three and no more than ten people.

Only competition proposals whose results have already been applied in practice will be considered:

• at least one year before the submission date — for the categories “Knowledge-Intensive Innovations”, “Innovative Solutions in Economic Activity” and “Special Prize”;
• at least three years before the submission date — for the category “Innovation Infrastructure”.

After the application period closes, competition proposals undergo a multi-level evaluation process:

• scientific and scientific-technological expert assessment;
• expert evaluation by members of expert groups;
• presentation of competition proposals at meetings of the expert groups;
• consideration by the Committee for the Awarding of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Prize for the Development and Implementation of Innovative Technologies, which will make the final decision.

As a result of the competition, no more than two Prizes may be awarded in each category. The author team whose competition proposal is recognised as the best in the respective category will receive the monetary component of the Prize in the amount of UAH 300,000.

Application Deadlines

Templates of the application forms for each category in *.doc format, which can be reviewed and completed with the required information, are available for download here.

Access to application submission in the system will open after 28 September 2026.

The deadline for submitting documents is 19 October 2026, by 13:00 Kyiv time.

Applications containing official-use information, trade secrets, confidential information, restricted-access information or information that may not be disclosed under contractual or international obligations, including applications submitted under the “Special Prize” category, must be submitted in the system in an aggregated form or with supporting documents that do not disclose such information, for security reasons.

The full version of such applications, together with the relevant documents, must be submitted in paper form during the application period to the following address: Directorate for Innovation and Science Links with the Real Sector of the Economy, Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, 16 Taras Shevchenko Boulevard, Kyiv, 01054, Office 313.

Applications and information materials containing state secrets will not be accepted for consideration.

More details are available here.

The Prize is intended to recognise people and teams that create Ukrainian innovative products, implement and scale them, and bring them to markets. The Ministry of Education and Science aims for the updated competition to become an effective mechanism for recognising the achievements of Ukrainian researchers and innovators and to contribute to strengthening the prestige of science and innovation in Ukraine.

Background information. Inventor and Rationalizer Day is celebrated in Ukraine every year on the third Saturday of September. In 2026, it falls on 19 September.

Source of statistical data: official statistical and analytical materials of the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovation (Ukrainian IP Office) for 2023–2025 and Q1 2026.