Cooperation with European partners opens up opportunities for IT companies to contribute to joint product development, technology experiments, and research projects.
On 21 October, ITBridge Connect 2026 took place, bringing together business representatives, clusters, and innovation organisations from Ukraine, the EU, and other countries for an international online forum. Participants discussed practical approaches to international business development (BizDev), finding partners, and developing joint technology projects.
119 participants joined the online forum on 21 October;
22 countries were represented among the participants;
158 organisations are involved in the forum and international cooperation;
175 participants joined the B2B matchmaking platform;
76 B2B meetings have already taken place, with another 200 planned;
42% of participants represent the EU, 54% Ukraine, and 4% other countries.
The forum provided a platform for sharing experience and finding partners. International matchmaking is still underway: participants can browse profiles and propose meetings on the b2match platform until 26 November 2026.
We have gathered the forum’s key insights to help IT companies grow their international business and discover new opportunities for cooperation.
1. Trust in your team can matter more than price
When choosing an IT partner, clients look beyond service costs. They also assess whether a team can deliver on its commitments, maintain operations in challenging circumstances, and take responsibility for results.
Valeriia Melnykova, Director of Client Partnerships at SDA, shared an example of how one of the company’s largest clients chose SDA even though its proposal was the most expensive among the competing offers.
One of the factors behind the decision was the team’s ability to operate during power outages and air raid alerts. Backup power supplies and distributed teams helped maintain business operations.
Legal and regulatory requirements are another important consideration. In healthcare and fintech, these need to be addressed at the very beginning of negotiations, as they can affect timelines, processes, and even whether a project can be delivered.
International clients want to understand how a team operates, how it responds to risks, and whether it can be a reliable long-term partner.
2. Local partners help companies establish themselves in new markets
Understanding the local business environment helps companies find clients, secure referrals, and build relationships that reflect the specifics of each market.
Working through local partners may mean accepting lower margins at the beginning. However, it can also expand a company’s network and help it gradually strengthen its position in a new market.
These connections are particularly valuable in highly regulated industries, where companies must consider not only client requirements but also local rules and restrictions.
For Ukrainian IT companies, this means that international expansion does not necessarily have to start with direct sales to end customers. Partnering with organisations already operating in a target market can offer an alternative route to new projects.
3. A pilot project can be the first step towards joint innovation
European clients are looking for partners who understand their business, contribute ideas, and help test new solutions.
A pilot project allows partners to test hypotheses in real-world conditions, identify needs, and assess how their teams work together before committing more resources.
Laura Sanz, Head of CCAM Strategy Lead at i2CAT, shared an example of a project focused on mobility management near a motorway. The team found that theoretical research alone was not enough to understand the challenges in practice, so the partners launched a small-scale pilot.
Practical testing helped them identify real needs and laid the groundwork for a subsequent joint innovation agreement.
This approach makes it possible to assess how well a solution addresses a partner’s needs. At the same time, joint research projects require partners to agree on roles, standards, and intellectual property rights in advance.
4. Clusters and innovation hubs open doors to partner networks
Clusters and innovation hubs help companies find the right expertise, connect with organisations in other countries, and build partnerships around shared projects.
One connection can lead to several joint initiatives.
This is how the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) worked for Piemonte Innova. As Anna Avoledo, Business Analyst at Piemonte Innova, explained, connections made through the network helped bring together a consortium for an open innovation call. The partners later decided to collaborate on another application as well.
Partnerships provide access to expertise that may be missing within an individual organisation but is essential for developing a project.
Olha Shapoval, Executive Director of Kharkiv IT Cluster and Coordinator of the Eastern Ukraine European Digital Innovation Hub, highlighted the role of cluster networks in international cooperation.
The experience of Transilvania Digital Innovation Hub, presented by coordinator Mădălina Neacșu, also demonstrates how innovation hubs help companies assess their digital maturity, access expert support, and find partners to implement new technologies.
5. Choose European support programmes to match your specific goals
European networks and programmes are valuable tools for finding partners, developing inter-cluster cooperation, and exploring funding opportunities. The speakers highlighted several resources:
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) — a network for finding international business and technology partners. Connections made through EEN helped companies working with Fondazione Piemonte Innova form a consortium for a joint project.
European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) — hubs that help businesses and public sector organisations address digital needs, assess digital maturity, access expertise, and identify the next steps for technology adoption.
European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) — a platform for finding clusters and fostering cooperation between business ecosystems.
EU Funding & Tenders Portal — the European Commission’s official portal for EU programme calls and funding opportunities.
The forum also highlighted Horizon Europe and the European Defence Fund (EDF) as funding programmes worth exploring. Eligibility for a particular call depends on its scope, applicant and partner requirements, and funding conditions.
Before applying, companies should check who is eligible, whether a consortium is required, and which costs the programme covers.
Using a European support instrument does not automatically guarantee a contract or funding. However, these resources can help companies find relevant contacts, information, and support mechanisms.
ITBridge Connect 2026 gave participants an opportunity to present their technology solutions, products, and ideas for joint projects. The solutions showcased included tools for business digitalisation, secure payments, education, and startup development.
Who presented their solutions?
Microsoft — solutions in artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and digital education. The company is interested in partnerships that combine technological expertise, research, and the practical implementation of innovation.
BALTUM — auditing and certification services based on international standards, including ISO 27001 for information security and ISO 42001 for AI management systems. The company is also developing Pulse, a tool for preliminary assessments of compliance with standards and regulatory requirements.
Font&Print — a PR platform that creates personalised promotion plans based on information about a company, its industry, and geographical reach. Users receive ideas for increasing their visibility, from managing PR activities independently to working with the media and improving their presence in search engine results and AI-generated answers. Potential partners include company founders, accelerators, incubators, and European PR and marketing agencies.
Turing Space — infrastructure for digital identity and verifiable digital data. Use cases include secure personnel access control and data verification. The company is looking for partners for joint cybersecurity projects, as well as international consortia and funding applications.
Qwood — a QR payment terminal that can replace up to ten separate devices in shops and warehouses. It combines a scanner, customer display, visitor counter, and other retail tools. The team is looking for an investor to scale the solution and expand QR payment services across Europe.
National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” — the Happy People Smart Macrofarm educational IoT pilot, in which students build IoT solutions themselves, work with sensors, and send experimental data to the cloud. The project includes a three-month pilot involving 11 students. Partners can contribute equipment and technologies and evaluate the results of their use.
Trezu — a platform for managing corporate crypto assets. It combines digital asset management, payments, cross-blockchain exchanges, and reporting, while allowing companies to control access to funds and maintain transaction confidentiality. The team is looking for companies that need tools to manage cryptocurrency payments and assets.
MatchFounders — a platform that helps startup founders find co-founders based on shared values, motivation, and complementary skills. It is designed for hackathon organisers, startup programmes, incubators, and university initiatives that help participants form teams. The team is looking for European clusters and organisations running such programmes.
Pàges — a B2B marketplace that directly connects local food producers with hotels, restaurants, and distributors. The platform is already operating in Spain, and the team is looking for technology partners, clusters, and innovation organisations to enter new markets and develop joint projects.
One Platform — a mobile platform that brings together corporate communications, employee onboarding and training, HR requests, and corporate standards in one digital space. Its next stage of development includes integrations with other services and new tools for sales teams. The team is looking for partners to integrate and implement the platform within companies.
ITBridge Connect 2026 brought together 158 organisations and representatives from 22 countries. Participants can now turn these connections into concrete agreements.
The B2B matchmaking platform remains open until 26 November 2026.
On the ITBridge Connect 2026 b2match platform, open the Participants section, browse company profiles, and propose meetings with potential partners.
Watch the forum recording:
The project is implemented by a consortium of Ukrainian IT clusters — Kharkiv IT Cluster, Dnipro IT Community and Odesa IT Family — together with European partners Transilvania IT Cluster (Romania) and Cluster Digital of Catalunya (Spain), with support from the European Union under the Single Market Programme.
The ITBridge project is co-funded by the European Union under the Single Market Programme, in accordance with Grant Agreement No. 101196018.
The views and opinions expressed in this material are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
