One of the most important events that took place at Igor Sikorsky KPI at the end of last month was the International Forum “Innovations in Medical Engineering.” It was held over two days, May 20 and 21, and brought together representatives of government agencies, Ukrainian and international participants in the Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine Innovation Ecosystem, international medical engineering specialists and experts, and representatives of foundations and companies. And, of course, scientists and developers of startup projects, because the forum participants not only discussed problems and identified pain points in the rapid implementation of innovative developments in medical engineering into production and further to patients, but also identified and highlighted the most promising startup projects on this topic at the competition.
It should be noted that this competition was an intermediate stage in preparation for the traditional large-scale annual festival of startup projects “Sikorsky Challenge,” held at KPI and the Kyiv Polytechnic Science Park. so it was held in the usual format for the festival: presentation of projects (offline and online), selection of the best projects, scientific and technical developments and the teams that presented them, negotiations with potential investors and customers, and awarding of winners.
In the photo: Grand opening of the innovation complexWhen asked why an intermediate competition was needed, one of its organizers, Inna Malyukova, head of the All-Ukrainian innovation ecosystem Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine, said: "The fact is that in terms of the number of development projects in the field of medical engineering, recent years have ranked second after defense technologies. In other words, there are many of them. And it became clear that in order to select high-quality projects, a separate session is needed for this area. That is why this forum and competition are being held within its framework. In addition, we will provide the winners with assistance in preparing for the autumn festival and will hold mini start-up schools for them. They will be able to refine their projects, polish them from a technological and business point of view, as well as in terms of business models and possible prospects for their commercialization and scaling..."
However, first, the forum participants discussed the most pressing issues in the industry and possible tools for accelerating the promotion of innovative engineering and medical developments, especially in the field of prosthetics and rehabilitation, to the Ukrainian and international markets during the plenary session and the panel discussion “Innovative Technologies in Prosthetics and Rehabilitation.” During this conversation, government officials talked about new services for veterans and their families on the digital platform DIYA, which allows these people to conveniently use all the services provided for them by the state. In turn, veterans themselves shared their vision of how to address the consequences of physical and mental trauma suffered by military personnel during combat operations, while representatives of the charitable organizations KOLO and Genesis for Ukraine reported on what has already been done, what is being done, and what is still planned to be done for the prosthetics and rehabilitation of the country's defenders. The participants in the discussion also learned about some of the latest developments by Ukrainian doctors aimed at restoring the health of veterans.
A very important part of the first day of the forum was the grand opening and presentation of the Sikorsky Challenge Additive Technologies Science Park Innovation Complex – the Igor Sikorsky KPI Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Center. The complex is a modern and inclusive space for the development of additive technologies and biomedical engineering, research, startups, and new technological solutions, which includes well-equipped laboratories for 3D printing, scanning, and modeling. It was created on the initiative and thanks to the efforts of the employees of the Sikorsky Challenge innovation ecosystem, Igor Sikorsky KPI, the KOLO and Genesis for Ukraine charitable foundations. and its opening would not have been possible without the substantial assistance of partners and patrons – EPAM Ukraine, appflame, OBRIO, Genesis for Ukraine, and OLX. From now on, combatants and people affected by the war will be able to acquire new knowledge and skills in the field of 3D scanning and modeling, prototyping and manufacturing of special equipment, and create new technologies under the guidance and with the help of scientists and engineers working at KPI. In other words, this complex is also a space for education and reintegration of veterans of the war raging in Ukraine. And they will not be taught there sometime in the future, or even tomorrow: in May, free training for veterans began at the complex – a course on “3D modeling and printing in engineering and biomedical engineering” from the KOLO Charitable Foundation, Igor Sikorsky KPI, and appflame.
In the photo: From left to right: O. Kryvenko, A. Melnychenko and A. KladovaAfter the grand opening ceremony of the Igor Sikorsky KPI Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Center, University Rector Anatoliy Melnychenko and the heads of the Genesis for Ukraine Charitable Foundation and the KOLO Charitable Foundation signed a memorandum of cooperation (pictured). In fact, such cooperation has been going on for several years, so this document only formalizes and, to a certain extent, strengthens the partnership.
The entire next day of the forum was devoted to the competition of startup projects and scientific and technical developments “Innovations in Medical Engineering.”
The best of them were selected in four thematic sections:
- “Artificial intelligence in medical engineering and intelligent systems in medicine”;
- “Clinical engineering, diagnostic technologies, medical instrumentation, and electronics”;
- “Rehabilitation engineering and technologies, endo- and exoprosthetics, physical therapy, occupational therapy”;
- “Tissue and regenerative engineering, artificial organs, and transplantation.”
A total of 58 projects were submitted to the competition from eight Ukrainian cities: Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Uzhhorod, Cherkasy, Lviv, Chernihiv, and Odesa. The sheer number of submissions indicates that there is currently a high demand for such technology, and engineers and scientists are actively responding to this need. As Inna Malyukova noted, while the Sikorsky Challenge festival usually receives a total of about 200 projects annually, the medical field alone accounted for almost a third of that number. “The importance of this competition is that we can improve the situation with innovations in medical engineering in terms of both quality and quantity,” she added. "Many projects related to prosthetics, rehabilitation, bone implants, etc., have been presented, i.e., everything that has become necessary due to the war. And we understand that, unfortunately, the number of people who need such help and solutions to their problems will continue to grow, which means we have to do this."
Thirty-two projects were admitted to the final. Their teams represented Kyiv, Cherkasy, Lviv, Uzhhorod, and Kharkiv. However, only 28 teams presented their developments to the jury and forum participants — the rest were unable to do so for some reason. Eleven teams became winners. They won the right to present their startups in the fall at the Sikorsky Challenge 2025 festival. In addition, two teams received awards from OBRIO.
The following projects won first place in their respective sections.
In Section 1, the winner was the pTBI prediction project, dedicated to the development of methods and software based on artificial intelligence (AI) to assess the likelihood of complications and mortality in cases of penetrating traumatic brain injury (PTCI) with the aim of quickly assessing the severity of the course, the likelihood of complications, and the results of PTCI treatment using an AI-based predictive model. The author is Myroslav Stupnytskyi, a doctor at the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region (Lviv).
In section 2, the winner was the project “High-precision measurement of central aortic pressure” (CAP), which is used for the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, pharmacology, sports medicine, and research on the human cardiovascular system. The author is Viktor Sergeev, an employee of the O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv.
In Section 3, the winner was the project “KROKER – mobile rehabilitation, even at home.” It features the innovative Ukrainian rehabilitation trainer KROKER, designed for military personnel, people with disabilities, children with cerebral palsy, and patients recovering from strokes and injuries, which combines the functions of a verticalizer, handrails, a lift, and a portable treadmill in one solution. Its main advantages are mobility, affordable price, and adaptation for home use. The authors are Olga Maliy and individual entrepreneur O.O. Goncharenko, Kharkiv (production), Kyiv (marketing).
The winner in section 4 was the Raniopack project, which presents an innovative hydrogel dressing for the treatment of wounds and burns, created on the basis of carrageenan and iso-alpha acids from hops. It combines antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties in a transparent, cooling matrix that comfortably adheres to the wound. The author is Anastasia Gerasymenko, a student at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.
All the winning projects in the sections and six more finalist projects made it to the finals of the 14th International Festival “Sikorsky Challenge 2025,” which is scheduled to take place on October 28-31 this year.
The finalists of the competition received certificates and a book of publications on the history of KPI, “Contemporary of Three Centuries,” and the junior finalists received invitations to master classes from the Sikorsky Challenge summer startup school, which began on June 2.
🎥 Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute hosted a two-day International Forum “Innovations in Medical Engineering” and a startup competition
56 ambitious projects aimed at meeting the needs of the military, their rehabilitation, and current medical challenges. The best of the best will not only receive support from partners, but also a chance to reach the finals of the XIV International Sikorsky Challenge 2025 Festival.
Students and scientists from Igor Sikorsky KPI's FBMI, FEL, and Institute of MMI submitted 20 projects, and the winners include innovative developments by KPI students!
📌 Project “Raniopak”
1st place in the “Tissue and Regenerative Engineering” section and a $1,000 award from the Genesis for Ukraine Foundation
A new generation of hydrogel bandages that treat wounds and burns using iso-alpha acids, section “Tissue and Regenerative Engineering, Artificial Organs and Transplantation” (FBME)
📌 Project “CARBO”
1st place in the Sikorsky Junior section
Exoskeleton for the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal disorders (Addex Community, NN MMI, FBME, Center for Prosthetics and Rehabilitation).
📌 NeoCover project — special award from Epam (individual mentoring sessions with company experts)
Designer prosthetic overlays (Addex community, NN MMI, FBME, Prosthetics and Rehabilitation Center).
Other interesting projects include a bioprinter and a bicycle attachment for people with upper limb amputations.
Congratulations to the KPI students who won the startup competition!
The forum featured a strong representation of many stakeholders among the speakers and jury members: domestic and international companies such as Epam, OBRIO, appflame, etc., innovative manufacturing companies, the Genesіs for Ukraine and MON funds, specialists from government agencies, the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, medical institutions, and others.
The forum program was rich: panel discussions (in particular, on innovative technologies in prosthetics and rehabilitation), plenary sessions, presentations, and discussions.
A very important event during the Forum was the opening of the Innovation Complex within the Sikorski Challenge Additive Technologies Science Park and the Training and Innovation Center for Prosthetics and Rehabilitation.
The most interesting moments and comments from participants about the startups can be viewed in the video. Timecodes are provided in the video description.
Forum organizers: Igor Sikorsky KPI, Sikorsky Challenge Innovation Holding, KOLO Charitable Foundation, Sikorski Challenge Additive Technologies Science Park, National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine.
