1. On November 15-16, UAFM, with the support of the German government, will present the national stand “Furniture of Ukraine” at the international exhibition London Build Expo 2023, which will take place in London. We invite manufacturers of doors, windows, wall panels, custom-made furniture, and other items for project furnishing to participate.
2. This Wednesday, October 18, furniture and door manufacturers can gain export experience from the organizers and participants of the UAFM trade mission to London. The event will be held with the support of the USAID Program “Competitive Economy of Ukraine” and should help Ukrainian manufacturers understand the prospects of the UK market. Participation is free.
3. The week at UAFM started with education. On Monday, October 16, the Furniture Business Academy (FBA) conducted the first module of the special course “B2B Sales in Crisis Conditions.” 70 hours of quality practical training by industry experts and businesses are designed to help course students increase product sales in both domestic and international markets. We wish everyone successful learning!
4. Next year, the government will double the funding for the microgrants program for business development, with plans to grant 3.5 billion UAH. Applications can be submitted through the “Diia” portal. Entrepreneurs working in both cities and towns in any region of the country can receive grants.
5. The State Forest Agency “Forests of Ukraine” has launched a pilot project for purchasing timber harvesting services through the “Prozorro” electronic platform. The industry has already implemented the “Forest on a Smartphone” project, which includes a list of logging tickets for timber harvesting and allows checking the legality of logging on the department’s online map.
6. In Rivne, on the territory of the Privillennenska village council in Dubno district, the first industrial eco-park “HEMPY UA” with an area of 43 hectares has appeared. There are plans to locate new objects of processing industry, including the production of construction and furniture materials.
7. The current simplified system of collecting taxes from individual entrepreneurs will not change as long as the war continues, assured the head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax, and customs policy, Danilo Hetmantsev. However, the financial department studies all foreign tax models to determine the most acceptable one for Ukrainian entrepreneurs.
8. The Ministry of Ecology and the State Standardization Agency have launched the “EcoSystem” pilot project, which will systematize information about the business’s environmental impact. Businesses will no longer need to duplicate their reports or transfer the same data into different forms. Data will automatically be duplicated in two structures.
9. The Nova Poshta Group of Companies plans to enter the markets of six more European Union countries (Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, France, and Austria) by the end of the year, opening its first branches there. This expansion will undoubtedly enhance the logistical capabilities of exporters of furniture products, especially in their disassembled form.
10. Leading German publisher “Gestalten” has released the book “UkraineRising” about contemporary creative culture in Ukraine. This collector’s edition showcases the achievements of 70 Ukrainian creatives in various fields, including design. Among them is “Loft Buro” by Serhiy Volosovsky.
11. More and more Polish and German furniture companies are adopting the latest technology for connecting furniture elements, Threespine ID, developed by the Swedish company “Välinge Innovation.” It allows assembling furniture quickly without the use of tools.
12. Valuable experience: The Scottish company “Warings Furniture” uses up to 90% of its own electricity obtained from renewable sources. The company has installed 76 solar panels in its warehouse, generating an average of 12 MWh of energy per month.
13. Attention exporters: Demand for new residential furniture in the United States this summer has increased by almost 30%, according to a survey of market players conducted by the consulting agency “Smith Leonard.”