CRDF and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine hosted the second Science & Technology Entrepreneur Program (STEP) Innovation Forum in Lviv, Ukraine on April 21, 2010. This event showcased emerging technologies in Ukraine, providing the participating teams with exposure to potential investors and partners.

The STEP Business Partnership Grant competition was also conducted by CRDF and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to promote research and development partnerships between companies and teams of researchers to develop new commercial opportunities of economic benefit to both parties. Eleven teams -- all competition semifinalists -- pitched their technology commercialization plans to an expert panel of judges. The best teams each received a $24,000 grant after the Forum from CRDF and the Ministry of Education and Science to continue their work on technology commercialization. All semifinalists participated in an intense three-day STEP Technology Entrepreneurship Development Workshop co-hosted by the I. Franko Lviv National University in March where U.S. and Ukrainian business professionals provided personalized training and coaching to aspiring entrepreneurs.

 

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