JRC and Łukasiewicz Research Network to Host Official Side Event at 2026 Ukraine Recovery Conference

The Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with the Łukasiewicz Research Network, has announced an official side event for the 2026 Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Gdańsk, Poland. Scheduled to coincide with the main summit on June 25-26, 2026, the event will focus on leveraging evidence-based scientific approaches to address Ukraine’s reconstruction challenges, including energy security and agricultural resilience. This initiative underscores the growing importance of specialized technical programming within large-scale international diplomatic and economic forums to drive sector-specific recovery strategies.

The "Science for Ukraine’s recovery" event is designed as a strategic platform within the broader URC framework to showcase how technical cooperation and integrated scientific perspectives can facilitate national rebuilding. The program is structured around four thematic panel discussions: Smart Specialisation, resilience in agriculture, energy security, and the sustainable reconstruction of built infrastructure, including the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative. These panels are intended to identify synergies across strategic sectors, ensuring that recovery efforts remain coherent and aligned with Ukraine’s ongoing priorities for EU accession.

The 2026 edition of the Ukraine Recovery Conference will be hosted in Gdańsk, continuing an annual cycle of high-level events that convene governments, international organizations, financial institutions, and the private sector. The European Commission plays a central role in these conferences, using them as a primary vehicle to maintain international focus, mobilize investment, and align political support for Ukraine following the full-scale war of aggression. For the events and conferences sector, the URC represents a critical node for international policy-driven gatherings that require complex coordination between scientific bodies and political entities.

A notable aspect of the event is its venue, the Grid Art Hub, which reflects modern trends in sustainable event planning and adaptive reuse. Located in the historic Hall 31B within the 100cznia complex, the site is a former 19th-century shipyard wood-drying plant that has been repurposed as a zero-waste circular economy showcase. By hosting the conference in a space that embodies the New European Bauhaus principles, the JRC and its partners are integrating the event's themes of sustainable reconstruction into the physical attendee experience, situated alongside active creative workshops and resident artist studios.