The Lviv Business School and Greencubator have the pleasure of announcing the first-ever Smart Energy Forum: Ukraine. The Forum includes a one-day forum (16 May) and a two-day Smart Energy Hackathon (17-18 May).

Can green start-ups help combat climate change and energy dictatorship? Can we crowd-source a sustainable energy policy for Eastern European countries and cities? Are there new technologies to free us from the grip of fossil fuels?

Recent events have demonstrated the fragility of Europe’s energy supply model. Ukraine’s is more fragile still. Is there a model that can ensure the security of energy supply whilst ensuring economic and environment sustainability?

A one-day conference will explore the potential of a green economy and smart energy innovations to ensure both energy security and sustainability. Forum experts will explore the latest developments regarding sustainable economic and energy models, technologies and R&D projects, policies to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy production, and how the energy and IT sector converge for achieving tangible results with small investments.

Discussion Panels: Discussion Panels: (Speakers from the EU, the US and Ukraine)

• Green-economy models: a chance for prosperity and security?
• Investing in smart energy technologies: from seed funding to project implementation
• Smart energy opportunities for IT sector

A two-day Hackathon will take place after the conference. It will be dedicated to cleanweb & tech related solutions. It will challenge teams to сreate sustainable business models, develop cleantech prototypes and Internet, mobile and social apps for boosting energy efficiency and implementing renewable energy. Municipal and campus-focused projects will target the City of Lviv and the Ukrainian Catholic University, Ukraine’s greenest campus. Successful teams could see their solutions rolled-out Ukraine-wide and internationally.

Cleanweb is defined as a category of clean technology that leverages the capability of big data, mobile computing, and connectivity that addresses global energy and resource constraints and enables collaborative consumption and related trends. It is seen a quick and cheap way to move towards a low-carbon economy. Ukraine's dynamic IT sector can be mobilised to help address the country's energy challenges, particularly reducing energy waste.