The issues of the development of critical infrastructure, energy and high technologies were in the spotlight at the Ukrainian-Japanese conference “Economic Growth of Ukraine. Partnership with Japan”, organized by Kyiv-Mohyla Business School [kmbs]. The event brought together representatives of the Government of Ukraine, diplomatic institutions, Japanese and Ukrainian state and business structures, international companies and financial organizations.
The Head of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration (USPA) Oleksandr Semirga made a presentation of the strategic vision of post-war recovery and development of maritime logistics.
“We clearly distinguish two dimensions of our work. The first is to ensure the continuous functioning of ports in wartime conditions. The second is strategic: the formation of a systemic vision of the recovery and development of the industry. We have identified three key areas: renewal and modernization of port infrastructure, digitalization and attracting investments. We are confident that this trinity — operational stability, technological renewal and partnership model — will allow Ukrainian ports not only to recover, but to reach a new level of competitiveness,” the Head of the USPA noted.
Oleksandr Semirga emphasized the importance of full digitalization and ensuring maximum transparency of procedures in Ukrainian sea ports.
“The deployment of the DocPort system is not just the implementation of a digital solution. We are changing the logic of interaction in the port: instead of “manual”, fragmented procedures — a single transparent platform. We are creating an infrastructure that works on speed, transparency and trust. For example, in ports where DocPort has already been implemented – Reni, Izmail, Chornomorsk and Odesa, electronic passes have reduced the time for vehicle registration from 24 hours to one minute, and the launch of transport from 10–15 minutes to one,” he noted.
The next stage of digital transformation will be the launch of the Marine Module in the port of Pivdenny, scheduled for June–July 2025. The new functionality will ensure full electronic data exchange between maritime agents and coastal services, which will further increase the speed and convenience of processing ship calls in the “single window” format.
The conference also noted the cooperation of the USPA with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which provides technical assistance for a total amount of over 2.4 million US dollars. In particular, diesel generators, pilot boats, loading equipment and equipment for liquidating emergency spills in port water areas have already been transferred to Ukrainian ports.
Among the issues discussed was also the expansion of logistics routes between Ukraine and Asian countries. This direction is an important component of Ukraine's transport potential and integration into Asian transport corridors.
The head of the USPA paid special attention to the fleet renewal program - a significant part of it is technically and physically outdated, which complicates operation and maintenance, especially in wartime.
"Our technical fleet is critically worn out - more than 65% of vessels were manufactured before 1990 in the Soviet Union. This is not only about outdated equipment, but also about the limitations in its maintenance, especially in wartime. Therefore, fleet renewal is a matter of functionality and future capacity of the port system," Oleksandr Semirga emphasized.