In mid-November, the largest event related to the reconstruction of Ukraine, ReBuild Ukraine 2023, was held in Warsaw to date. Lev Partskhaladze, president of the Ukrainian builders association CBU, which organized the event, said that Finns certainly have a foothold and opportunities to help in the reconstruction of Ukraine, especially in hospital and school construction.
At the event there were representatives of dozens of countries, more than 550 companies and organizations, representatives of all Ukrainian provinces and, among others, the ministry responsible for the reconstruction of Ukraine. The Finnish delegation was led by the Minister of Labor and Economy Towns Tavio, which had a clear message for both Finnish companies and Ukraine: Finland will help Ukraine now and in the future.
The development director from RT participated Antti Aaltonen and CEO Aleksi Randell, who spoke at the event as the only representative of Finnish industry. In his presentation, he described how Finland became the current welfare state after its own defense struggle and how Finland as a state, Finnish companies and private individuals will help Ukraine to do the same trick. Finnish industry is able to offer solutions for the entire life cycle of the built environment, with industrial construction, project management of large projects and design expertise as special spearheads.
Throughout the war of aggression, RT has tried to anticipate possible changes caused by the war and risks to the Finnish construction industry, and started to plan and prepare for a possible reconstruction as part of what Finland has to offer. As part of this preparation, RT and the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine (CBU) took the first step by signing a cooperation agreement.
The purpose of the cooperation agreement is to facilitate the start of cooperation between Finnish and Ukrainian companies, to exchange information related to technology, research and industry operating models. As the next step, RT welcomed the CBU representatives to get to know Finland and the Finnish construction industry.
As the war of aggression continues in Ukraine, the acute reconstruction cost this year is estimated at US$14 billion, most of which will go towards repairing critical energy infrastructure. It is estimated that more than 400 billion dollars will be needed for the actual reconstruction and recovery, the majority of which will be directed to the construction of the infrastructure and the restoration of the building stock.
The various ministries are in cooperation with industry organizations preparing Finland's joint offer, the first part of which is scheduled to be published later this year. The report focuses on the operational possibilities of Finnish companies and financing in the reconstruction of Ukraine. More information about RT's preparations for the reconstruction of Ukraine is provided by Development Director Antti Aaltonen.
Antti Aaltonen
Director, Construction Development
antti.aaltonen@rt.fi + 358 40 514 3626Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries (CFCI)