Entrepreneurs shared their experiences and visions for the future, focusing on development prospects and innovations that can aid not only their businesses but also Ukraine’s economy overall.

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Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative, Taras Kachka, shared his outlook on the development of Ukrainian exports. He emphasized that products with high added value, such as confectionery, juices, flour, pasta, and beer, which consistently rank among the top 50 export items, play a significant role in growth. Although the export volumes of such products are smaller than basic agricultural goods like grain, they play a vital role in the dynamic growth of the Ukrainian market.

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Kachka stressed the importance of not only exporting raw materials but also developing processing and semifinished products, which are becoming increasingly important in the global market. For instance, producers of confectionery starch, using innovative approaches, surpass international standards, giving them a competitive edge.

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Kachka noted that Ukraine is actively cooperating with the EU, the UK, Canada, and other countries to lift tariffs on finished products, potentially opening new export opportunities. He emphasized that while Ukraine’s agri-food processing sector has significant growth potential, the key success factors remain standardization, investment in new technologies, and a focus on quality production. Consistency and predictability in product quality are critical in international markets.

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Oleh Shmuliaiev, Deputy Chairman of the Board for Marketing at MHP, spoke about how Ukrainian food companies can secure their place in international markets. His speech focused on three key types of leadership:

1. Product leadership. This is when a company offers a unique product not available in other countries. The idea is for the product to be associated with its country of origin and to carry high added value in the global market.
2. Price leadership. The producer offers a product that isn’t unique, but is slightly cheaper due to production efficiency. Entrepreneurs aiming for competitive markets need to continually assess and improve their production processes.
3. Technological leadership. A company invests in innovative technologies that help create new solutions for the market. For example, MHP uses cold pasteurization technology in the production of ready-to-eat meals. This technology preserves the quality and taste of meals for up to 50 days. MHP initially used this technology for one brand, and now they have expanded it to another, “Legko!”, under which they launched a whole new line of ready-to-eat meals. They have also started using this technology for HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, cafés) products.

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Another important element of success for food businesses in international markets, according to the MHP speaker, is focusing on the B2B segment and customizing products for specific businesses.

"Obviously, businesses can’t offer individual products for every pizzeria or restaurant, but it’s worth customizing wherever it’s reasonable and possible," said Oleh Shmuliaiev.

Shmuliaiev explained that MHP adapts its products to the needs of various markets. This provides a significant advantage over competitors, who often operate rigid production lines without flexibility to meet customer needs. MHP's experience shows that even in saturated markets, businesses can find their niche by adapting products and introducing new technologies.

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Igor Bulakh, CEO of PJSC “Obolon”, shared his company’s experience of not halting operations even for a day since 2022, while also implementing new industrial lines and technologies. The company actively invests in innovations, not only in products but also in customer interaction methods. He cited a successful collaboration with Monobank — the launch of the “Zhyvchyk Mono” brand. This project demonstrated how unconventional approaches can lead to unexpected and positive results. Bulakh added that over the past three years, the company has undergone more than 10 audits by international retailers, which has allowed them to secure key contracts and begin new collaborations.

Olena Vovk, co-owner of the biotech company Enzym Group and pet food manufacturer Kormotech, shared her optimistic outlook on business development and its prospects. She emphasized the importance of two key areas — traditional and innovative — explaining how these approaches interact and support the company’s growth. However, baked goods and confectionery remain essential export categories, where the company holds a strong position.

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A new challenge for the company is the high-tech ingredients market. In this field, they feel like a startup. Despite their extensive experience in traditional industries, they are relatively unknown in this area, necessitating continuous efforts to demonstrate their expertise and convince potential partners.

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Olena emphasized the importance of balancing flexibility with strategic stability. Constantly adapting to customer demands can lead to a loss of overall direction, so the company seeks to find the optimal balance between customization and pursuing more large-scale market solutions.

"We can dream of global leadership, but first we need to get there and make ourselves known," said Olena.

Borys Shestopalov, founder of Volia Agri-Food Park, co-owner and CEO of HD-Group, and co-owner of GFS Group, highlighted that one of the key tasks for Ukrainian producers is utilizing domestic raw materials and generating foreign currency revenue by exporting goods. This approach can create currency flows needed for the country's reconstruction and stimulate economic growth. He added that raw materials such as sugar, eggs, oil, flour, meat, and other products form the foundation for building a strong export-oriented business.

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Sergii Voitsehovskyi, member of the Board of Directors at BGV Group Management, emphasized that his company invests 99.9% of its resources into projects in Ukraine. They constantly collaborate with various projects and companies, discovering new opportunities and prospects even in unstable conditions.

One such example is the story of a non-food product manufacturer from Eastern Ukraine, which lost its market in the eastern regions but found new opportunities in the South American market. The company provided a high-quality product and service at a level acceptable to many foreign markets. Serhii noted that this company made significant efforts to study local standards and obtain the necessary certifications, enabling it to quickly integrate into the market.

"We often talk about large systems and major market players, but in reality, all large systems result from the refinement of small ones," he said.

Igor Lisky, founder of the investment company EFI Group and co-founder of the Ukrainian Institute for the Future, noted that the key to the survival and growth of Ukrainian companies lies in constant forward movement and the adoption of new approaches.

"We must think about development, or we will simply cease to exist," emphasized Igor.

He added that his enterprise is actively implementing innovations and striving to enter new markets. To achieve this, it is crucial that their products meet and even exceed European standards. He urged his colleagues to capitalize on the attention towards Ukrainian goods and to prove that local products can not only be competitive but superior to European counterparts in quality and creativity.

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Source (translated from the original): https://delo.ua/business/slyaxi-do-liderstva-na-rinku-yizi-shho-dopomagaje-biznesu-vixoditi-na-miznarodnii-rinok-ta-zalisatisya-konkurentospromoznim-437638/

Photo: New Food Summit