How Web Summit 2024 Went: Our Team’s Experience

Making a mark on the international stage—through innovations, startups, and progressive teams—is a unique challenge for Ukraine. That’s why we join the national mission every year and strive to attend the largest global events, including Web Summit.

This year, the president of SET University, Iryna Volnytska, addressed a critical topic for the future of education and the role of innovation in its development:
“By 2030, AI will automate around 15% of full-time positions in the job market. We need to focus on reskilling and upskilling. Higher education is what shapes our minds, hard skills, and soft skills.”

She also highlighted industry-specific challenges:
“Our biggest problem is outdated educational models. Modern higher education must focus on critical thinking, empathy, and soft skills. These can be cultivated, among other methods, through project-based learning and startup creation.”

On the Teaching for Tomorrow’s Jobs panel, Iryna was joined by representatives of forward-thinking EdTech projects and information products: Andrii Skrypnyk (CEO of Promova), Matthieu Delac (Founder and CEO of SheCodes), and Serena Kutchinsky (Assistant Editor at Sky News).

Iryna also participated as a judge during the startup pitch competition alongside representatives of international companies. Each semifinalist had three minutes to present their business.

The winner of the Web Summit PITCH Competition 2024 was the educational technology startup Intuitivo, which helps schools digitize the student assessment process. This underscores the importance of advancing education and educational products for the future of our planet.

Attending Web Summit means addressing important topics, spotlighting challenges, finding solutions, and connecting with like-minded individuals. The Ukrainian delegation at Web Summit 2024 consisted not only of speakers and panels but also 24 startups from fields such as AI, HealthTech, EdTech, SaaS, E-commerce, and FinTech, showcasing the potential of Ukraine’s ecosystem.