Not just "the city of shipbuilders": Mykolaiv must become a center of the blue economy

The mayor Oleksandr Senkevych said that Mykolaiv should develop as a key center of Ukraine’s blue economy in the European space. He said this during a speech at the Blue Summit in Mykolaiv 2026, report “MykVisti”.

According to the mayor, the post-war recovery of the city should not mean simply returning to the state of 2021. Mykolaiv must build a new economic model taking into account European integration, digitization, ecology, human capital, international markets and modern financial instruments.

Oleksandr Senkevych emphasized that the blue economy concept for the city is strategic.

“When we talk about recovery, we are not talking about returning to the state of 2021. We clearly understand what the city must become after our victory, after peace, in the new economic reality, in the new system of European coordinates. That is why the blue economy concept is strategic for us”.

The mayor noted that the maritime sector has historically been important for Mykolaiv, but now it needs to be filled with modern content. This concerns the development of marine technologies, shipbuilding, ship repair, engineering, logistics, and also the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses in this ecosystem.

Separately, Oleksandr Senkevych mentioned defense and military technologies.

“We must understand that today we need to be in Defense Tech, MilTech. And I think that many interesting things will be told after the war, because Mykolaiv is not lagging behind”.

According to the mayor, the development of the maritime economy requires cooperation between business, education, international partners and authorities. He emphasized that the summit should end not only with statements but with concrete projects.

Oleksandr Senkevych said he expects practical results for the city from the Blue Summit in Mykolaiv 2026.

“I would like the results of this year’s summit to be not only declarations, but concrete, down-to-earth things: projects for maritime infrastructure, new opportunities and contracts for business, modern programs for training our youth. And, as a result — new jobs and investments”.

The mayor also noted that Mykolaiv is open to cooperation with European cities, maritime clusters, universities and investors. In his words, preparations for Ukraine’s accession to the EU must continue now, despite the war.

Oleksandr Senkevych stressed that Mykolaiv must secure its role as a strong modern city in the European space.

“Let the Blue Summit in Mykolaiv 2026 become another confident step for Mykolaiv to develop as a strong, modern city and a key center of Ukraine’s blue economy in the European space”.

For several years now, Mykolaiv has been promoting the idea of developing the city according to the principles of the blue and green economies. This concerns industries related to the sea and water resources: shipbuilding, ship repair, maritime logistics, aquaculture, coastal tourism, engineering and green energy.

Among the city’s advantages are named port and shipbuilding infrastructure, specialized enterprises, educational institutions and the longest coastline in Ukraine. At the same time, the main challenges remain the war, blocked ports and high security risks for business.

Previously we wrote:

• Senkevych shared his dreams with the city’s guests
• Not aircraft carriers, but boats with missiles: Kim explained how Mykolaiv shipbuilding is changing
• Senkevych on the “phantom pains” of Mykolaiv residents regarding shipbuilding: and who destroyed the industry?
• The mayor of Mykolaiv announced an ambitious plan to attract investments to create jobs
• “We will do it!”: at the Ocean plant they will finish building universal bulk carriers of the “Bug” type