Odesa as a Gateway: Chamber Discusses Ukraine’s Logistics Future at the U-Nation Conference

🇺🇦 𝗢𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗮, 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲

On 28 of May, Markus Ciupek had the pleasure of speaking at the U-Nation 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 in Odesa, representing the Czech-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry & Commerce.

The conference, organised by Yan Shapiro, brought together 𝟮𝟳 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀, including 𝟭𝟬 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 from 𝟲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, business leaders, investors, international organisations and public institutions. 🤝

What we are appreciate mostly about U-Nation Conferences is the 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀. Less theory. More real discussions about what can be done today. ⚙️

On the 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 with Yuriy Dimchoglo from Ferry Complex Orlivka and Dmytro Ochkolias from Interlegal, we discussed a topic often underestimated:
🚚 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀.
⏱️ 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁, 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁.

And there is probably no better place to discuss this than 𝗢𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗮. 🌊
Odesa is one of Ukraine’s most important 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗯𝘀. It connects 𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 and the wider Black Sea region.

⚓ The Ukrainian maritime corridor has moved more than 𝟭𝟳𝟵 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀 of cargo since 2023.
🌊 The Danube ports moved around 𝟴.𝟵 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀 in 2025.
🚂 Rail remains the backbone for heavy freight.
🚚 Road transport remains essential for manufactured goods and EU customers.

For investors, this matters directly. A company may find good labour costs, strong people and attractive production conditions. But if goods cannot move 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗹𝘆 and 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆, competitiveness is lost on the road, at the border or in the port.

My conclusion remains clear:
📌 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵.
📌 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.
📌 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲.

And personally, it was great to be back in 𝗢𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗮. Michaela MACHARIK and I love this city because it has its own very specific 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲.

Many thanks to the U-Nation team all partners, speakers and participants.

🇺🇦 Ukraine continues to 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.
🚚 Business continues to 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.
🤝 And 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 will play a major role in determining how fast that happens.