On 3–5 November 2025, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for the Development of Communities and Territories, Serhiy Derkach, visited Lund and the Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund University. The visit took place within the Swedish Institute–funded capacity development programme Developing a Sustainable Transport System from a Rights-Based Perspective, financed under the SI Ukraine Cooperation Programme. Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure, Andreas Carlson, also participated during the visit.
Coordinated by LTH’s Unit for External Engagement and Development, the visit highlighted the growing collaboration between LTH and the Ukrainian ministry and supported joint planning of next steps and broader cooperation. The delegation took part in study visits to the Lund University School of Aviation, meetings with Volvo Trucks, Scania, Saab ATM, and Trafikverksskolan, a training centre administered by the Swedish Transport Administration.
Key outcomes included the signing of a Letter of Intent between the Swedish Transport Administration and Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), industry meetings with Scania and Volvo, and a demonstration by Saab. The delegation also visited the Lund University School of Aviation and learned about LUPREP (Centre for Preparedness and Resilience), a Lund University cross-faculty initiative focusing on total defence and resilience.
Discussions at LTH focused on future cooperation, including continued capacity development and plans for a competence centre in Ukraine inspired by K2. LTH and the ministry have since developed Terms of Reference for the centre, which are soon being presented to potential partners in Stockholm, Sweden.
Background and programme development
The collaboration began in 2023, when Aliaksei Laureshyn, Head of the Transport and Roads Division at the Department of Technology and Society (LTH), lectured in a Vision Zero course organised by the Swedish Transport Administration, which included Ukrainian participants.
Strong engagement from Ukrainian officials and their interest in the scientific foundations of Swedish road safety approaches led to further dialogue with LTH. In late 2023, Deputy Minister Derkach met with Aliaksei Laureshyn and Jessica Hansson from the Unit for External Engagement and Development at LTH. This meeting laid the foundation for a joint application to the SI’s Ukraine Cooperation Programme in spring 2024. Funding was granted later that year, and the programme launched its first training activities in June 2025.
Programme focus and participants
The programme runs during 2025–2026 and is implemented by the Department of Technology and Society at LTH, in partnership with K2 – the National Knowledge Centre for Collective Mobility and Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities and Territorial Development, with support from the Unit for External Engagement and Development at LTH.
The programme targets Ukrainian public officials and decision-makers working with transport planning, policy development, mobility, and accessibility. The aim is to strengthen institutional capacity and support Ukraine’s alignment with EU regulations and standards as part of its EU integration process.
It emphasises the links between transport systems and fundamental human rights, including health, safety, equality, and sustainability. Focus areas include road infrastructure, transport planning, public transport, active mobility, road safety, and human rights in transport.
Looking ahead
The visit created opportunities for mutual learning and dialogue around shared challenges and development priorities.
Programme participants of Developing a Sustainable Transport System from a Rights-Based Perspective, including the Deputy Minister, will return to Lund for further training activities on 23–27 March 2026. The partners also plan to hold the programme’s final dissemination conference in Kyiv in May 2026, which also aims serve as a starting point for new joint initiatives and long-term cooperation.