Category: News

Short video summary of 2021 CUCC AGM, CA-UA bilateral trade and investment relations and keynote speakers’ Michael Bociurkiws’ comments on current situation in Ukraine

In June 2021, ZV Development became a member of the Canadа-Ukrainе Chamber of Commerce. It has been engaged in the production of the unique modular houses built using Prefab technology, which gives ZV Development confidence about the Ukrainian products’ ability to create relevant competition in the North American market.

Sergei Samusev, the founder of ZV Development, has given us this interesting interview, where he tells us what inspired him to be a part of an innovative modular construction business in Ukraine and his first impressions of seeing the transportable modular house in Canada.

 

The difference in the construction market progress in Ukraine and Canada is huge. In your opinion, what has been the main reason for this?

There are a series of mental and historical reasons. They have determined the development vectors of both markets. Talking about Ukraine, there were no correctly formed customer requests in the construction market.

People who have bought our houses had previously lived in multi-storey and private houses. All these buildings had been erected in different periods. Soviet and post-Soviet architecture institutes didn’t pay much attention to the design of private houses, new technologies and materials due to the lack of demand from the customer’s side. Therefore, when demand had increased, it was almost impossible to find a specialist.

Moreover, at that time the builders as a class didn’t exist. Almost all of them came from Kyivgorstroy, the state-owned developer which used existed technologies and materials.

There was also a large difference in the availability of materials in Ukraine and Canada, too. Even 20-30 years ago, it was quite easy for the Canadian consumer to buy required materials and tools such as paint, glue, ready-made standard solutions.

There were no stores like these and no available materials in our country. As a result, it was necessary to produce some building materials manually using available tools. Absence of professionals, materials shortage and other reasons resulted in appearance of abandoned and unfinished cottage townships.

 

Was these the main reason prompted you to adopt the foreign experience?

Indeed. I realized that solution can be simple: quick development in terms of the construction quality, finishing, and engineering infrastructure. As a start, I began to study the experience of Canada, as well as Germany, Finland, and the USA. It was crucial to find out what was the secret of the construction speed and quality, and what technologies and methods of labour organization existed.

To get the full experience, we even sent our workers abroad and invited some builders from Canada, so that the teams would get used to working together. Once I ordered two American-designed houses, they were kept in two containers. The houses were like a construction set, the complete set included everything we could imagine to build it, including even the nails, gaskets and 110-volt boilers.

Along with these containers, a team of Canadian builders arrived in Ukraine. Later we started to build houses at the same time, two Canadians were responsible for one of these houses, and our construction team of 20 people were dealing with another one. It was a unique experience exchange.

 

What impressed you the most about Canada’s construction methods?

In Canada, I saw with my own eyes some practical models that prompted me to think about changes. As a result, a new vision of the construction industry’s future was formed. It was incredible to see the whole chunk of a house being driven down a Canadian road, a huge moving structure hanging from a trailer. We had nothing like that.

I realized it was an opportunity to move the construction site to the workshop, so our builders turned into blue collar workers. Construction under the roof solves the multiple external issues in the construction process. People don’t have to work in extreme hot or cold weather, as it affects timing a lot. Quality control is simplified, labour productivity is increased. The employers’ safety issues and material resources preservation are part of the problem solution, too.

 

What modular objects have already been brought to life by the company?

As a part of modular construction, we have created two prototype projects: the “Sola” capsule dwelling module and the Family five-module house. Half a dozen projects are waiting in line.

“Sola” is a capsule unit and I would say, it’s more of a gadget than a house. This is a transportable living capsule with a high degree of autonomy and many tech features. We are proud to say that all embodiments are made directly at our factory by our workforce. From the lift-and-fold doors, modern solar energy solutions, anti-vandal enclosing surfaces and closing apertures to a robotic arm used to move the TV and the artificial intelligence system – everything was developed and built by our team

Another project, “Family”, looks more like a standard frame-transom house. It’s created using Prefab technology. “Family” is entirely made in the factory, including furniture and decor items. The house construction takes 22 hours, from loading the modules in the workshop to completing installation at the construction site.

 

What new opportunities do modular homes provide?

The most essential one is the ability to manage space and area depending on the family’s growth and wealth. If changes occur, you can add new bedrooms, offices, gym, sauna, bathrooms, or even entire floors at any time.

The second one is mobility. Our concept allows the house to be pulled apart into modules, transported to another location and rebuilt in a few hours. This will be useful if the family is changing their location and doesn’t want to sell the old house and buy the new one.

This amazing transformation of immobile real estate into movable property also makes a sale much easier. If necessary, the house can be sold the same as a used car to another region, for example. A new house, more modern or designed for different consumer needs, will be erected at the same place in a very short time.

The Canadian market is better prepared for modular products than the Ukrainian one at the moment. We believe our high-quality, Ukrainian-produced modular homes can be in demand on the Canadian market. The understanding of the modular construction benefits in Canada is formed by years of related product usage.

Dear CUCC Members and Friends,

We are thrilled to announce that Mr. Michael Bociurkiw will be the Guest Speaker at the CUCC AGM 2021 on December 8^th

Michael Bociurkiw is the author of Digital Pandemic- Covid-19: How Tech Went from Bad to Good. You will have an opportunity to purchase a signed copy of the book at our event.

Michael is a writer, global affairs analyst and two-time TEDx speaker. His geopolitical commentary is regularly featured on CNN Opinion. Having worked on the frontlines of humanitarian emergencies, he’s become a familiar voice on BBC World Television, CNN, CNN International, Al Jazeera, and Bloomberg Television. His writing has appeared in several media outlets, including: The Los Angeles Times, Forbes, the South China Morning Post, Asia Times, the Globe and Mail and on MSNBC.com. He is the founder and co-host of the popular podcast/vodcast, Global Impact.

Michael is a former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, and a former global spokesperson for the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF). A resident of Sidney, BC, Canada he is of Ukrainian heritage.

Below, you will find Mr. Bociurkiw’s latest article on Belarus border conflict and the military buildup around Ukraine, as well as Mr. Bociurkiw’s website with fascinating articles and podcasts.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-russia-is-weaponizing-migrants-and-europes-energy-crisis-to-achieve/

https://www.michaelbociurkiw.com/

We look forward to seeing you at CUCC AGM on December 8^th and please share this event with your friends and colleagues.

To attend you must register using link provided below.

Registration Link

https://forms.gle/WpzagTeGnqRMU5Py7

Dear Members and Friends of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce,

The President and Directors of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce are pleased to invite You to the

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the CANADA-UKRAINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The event will be held on Wednesday, December 8th, 2021 at 6:00 pm (ET) in the Foyer of the Trident Banquet Hall (145 Evans Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M8Z 5X8). We will provide a Zoom link for those of you who are unable to participate in person (will be sent out on December 6th to those registered for online participation).
All Attendees (In-Person & Zoom) must register using the link https://forms.gle/JGY8PjGj5j4V1ptH8

It has been a long time since we last met, and we are thrilled to be able to meet in person to reconnect, discuss CUCC affairs over the last two years, and commence Holiday Celebrations. We look forward to seeing you.

Agenda:

6:00 pm (ET) – Doors Open (Proof of Vaccination with QR Code must be presented at the entrance)
6:30 pm (ET) – CUCC AGM
7:30 pm (ET) – Christmas Reception and Networking

Admission for In-Person Attendees
CUCC Members: Free

Non-members & Guests: $ 30.00

If you cannot attend, please complete, and submit the attached Proxy Form on or before December 6th, 2021. Note that verbal proxies on the day of or before the Annual Meeting will NOT be considered.

PLEASE SHARE OUR INVITATION TO ATTEND WITH YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATES

Invitation AGM 2021

 

Dear 

A reminder to those interested in communications and the economy that on October 29th, UWC’s Economic Prosperity and Investment Committee (EPIC) in collaboration with partners Ukraine Invest, IOM Ukraine, and Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce will be holding webinar 4 in our 5-part series. 

We will speak about enhancing and streamlining economically focused communications and outreach with the Ukrainian diaspora and migrant community. We will be highlighting the efforts currently underway by various actors in this area, both governmental and non-governmental, and sharing the experiences and lessons learned of other diasporas in this area.

Webinar language: English

Registration: https://cutt.ly/jRhQx0d

On October 24, 2021, President of CUCC Zenon Potoczny and Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Andriy Shevchenko signed a Memorandum of Understanding (hereafter referred to as MOU) made between the Council of Exporters and Investors under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce.

The ceremony took place during the farewell meeting of the departing Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada Andriy Shevchenko, and the leadership of the Ukrainian community in Canada.

Under the MOU, parties agree to strengthen business relations and promote economic cooperation between organizations in the two countries.

This document results from a long-standing partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine to Canada, MFA of Ukraine and CUCCs efforts to bring trade and investment flows between Canada and Ukraine to the next level.

Be the first to see what Ukraine has to offer as a tourist destination next season.

Register here https://bit.ly/3iUuMtm

 

Be the first to see what Ukraine has to offer as a toursit destination next season!
Join us together with the
– Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
– Embassy of Ukraine in Canada
– Embassy of Canada in Ukraine
– Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce
– Ukraine International Airlines
and discover Ukraine as a tourist destination during keynote presentations by Association of Incoming Tour Operators of Ukraine
Who shall participate:
– Travel Agencies
– Tour Operators
– MICE planners
– Incentive Houses
Register for the webinar and rediscover Ukraine!
Register here https://bit.ly/3iUuMtm

The Embassy of Canada to Ukraine, Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, and Lviv IT Arena are happy to invite you to one of the most prominent and waited for tech events in Ukraine and Eastern Europe – IT Arena 2021. If you are looking for a partner, vendor, or are interested in exploring cooperation opportunities with the Ukrainian tech market – all you need to do is to register a representative from your company by filling out this typeform. After that, you will receive your personal invitation from Lviv IT Arena directly.

Last year Lviv IT Arena was distinguished by quality content, efficient networking, over 4 000 attendees, and 500 companies from around the world of which 144 companies reaped the benefits of the event’s B2B matchmaking opportunities.

Lviv IT Arena 2021 will take place on October 7-9, 2021 streamed from Lviv, Ukraine. The final – 3^rd Day of the conference will be in-person thematic meetups (see below).

The event will be streamed via Lviv IT Arena branded web platform and mobile app, allowing participants to enjoy a unique two-screen experience, switch between talks and communicate with fellow attendees, and ask speakers questions in one click. In this regard, the conference looks and feels very similar to world’s leading tech events.

The 3^rd and final Day of the conference is an in-person day, which will host a series of meetups held in some of Lviv’s most vibrant cafes and restaurants. If you might consider a physical travel to Lviv, let me invite you to a Canadian meetup that will take place at 14:30-16:00 on 9 Oct 2021 at “Pravda” Beer Theatre in the Lviv city. A meetup is a thematic meeting hosting 40-50 in-person local IT business audience downtown Lviv, who will listen to presentations and pose questions to 1-3 Canadian speakers, selected by the organisers. This year’s Canadian presenters will include Canadian Tektelic Communications Inc (in-person), Montreal International (connecting to the meetup remotely, from the city of Montreal) and the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce (in-person).

Please learn more about the hybrid format of Lviv IT Arena 2021, speaker lineup and B2B matchmaking opportunities here website.