At KPI library, an innovative smart shelter for students CLUST SPACE opened

On January 25th, an official opening of the smart shelter CLUST SPACE took place at the Central Library of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI) — the first multifunctional shelter for students in Ukraine, which combines secure shelter and modern coworking facilities.

Ruslan Tymofieiev, the initiator of the CLUST SPACE project, entrepreneur, founder of the venture builder CLUST, and CEO of the venture fund Adventures Lab, commented that CLUST SPACE is not just a temporary solution to the problem of studying during wartime but rather a systematic approach to student development. This project has become a response to many current societal demands, and it is a unique security solution that can be replicated in other regions of Ukraine and beyond. 

The first smart shelter, CLUST SPACE, was built in the Central Library of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI). Previously, this basement space was one of the library's book depositories. Today, it is CLUST SPACE, a 600 square meter modern multifunctional space that transforms according to the needs of the student community. Here, one can conduct lectures, conferences, presentations, and hackathons or utilize it as a coworking space for studying or exams.

In addition to the general open space, the area features large meeting rooms and rooms for online meetings, reading rooms, a cafeteria, a gaming area, shower cabins, and inclusive restrooms. CLUST SPACE can accommodate approximately 500 people.

The entire infrastructure, including the ventilation system, is designed for prolonged stays during times of danger.

Freedom Holding Corp was the smart shelter CLUST SPACE project's main investor. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the Kyiv City State Administration, the Svichado Foundation, and the Usyk Foundation also supported the project.

"At Freedom Holding Corp., we believe that CLUST SPACE will become a real support for Kyiv's student community and a place for effective interaction between businesses and creative youth. CLUST SPACE has the potential to become a breeding ground for a new generation of Ukrainian leaders and a territory where big ideas and unique innovations will be born and realized," adds Timur Turlov, investor and CEO of the international investment holding Freedom Holding Corp.

During the event, the chief architect of the space, Pavlo Peker, conducted a tour for the guests and elaborated on the unique design solutions.

"The largest country in Europe is in a state of war in the era of digitization and technology. All military and defense developments set a certain standard. And this shelter is one of such standards. Here are solutions that accommodate 500 persons on the premises for 72 hours. The system includes filters capable of filtering out chemical contamination and other hazardous substances. Moreover, we have made every effort to make the space inclusive," said Pavlo Peker.

As part of the official opening of the CLUST SPACE, a panel discussion titled "Smart money: How Ukraine can make a technological leap. The role of business, government, and education took place."

Among the speakers were:

- Mykhailo Zgurovsky, Rector of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute;

- Denys Kurbatov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine;

- Inna Maliukova, Head of Sikorsky Challenge;

- Yuriy Kryvosheia, Vice President of the Canadian-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Managing Partner of Toronto-Kyiv, co-founder of Yakaboo, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of "Promprylad.Renovation";

- Oleksii Shaldenko, Ph.D., CEO/Co-founder of Wantent, Associate Professor at the Department of Digital Technologies in Energy at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute;

- Natalia Kushnerska, Head of the DEFENCE-TECH cluster at Brave1.

The overarching theme of the panel discussion was the importance of cooperation between the government, the education sector, and businesses to ensure comfortable conditions for learning and the upbringing of the younger generation, which will revitalize Ukraine's economy after the victory and create innovative startups with Ukrainian roots.

The project initiators emphasized that they plan to scale the CLUST SPACE smart shelters project to other regions of Ukraine and seek partners to implement these plans. The organizers plan to build the next smart shelter at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, and they have already secured the first $100,000 from KPI graduate and IT entrepreneur Mykhailo Savchenko.

As part of the official opening of the first CLUST SPACE, a panel discussion titled "Smart money: How can Ukraine achieve a technological leap. The role of business, government, and education" took place, focusing on the cooperation between the government, the education sector, and businesses to ensure comfortable conditions for learning and upbringing of the younger generation, which will revitalize Ukraine's economy.

CLUST SPACE is a project of multifunctional shelters for Ukrainian students at higher education institutions. Its uniqueness lies in combining secure shelter with modern coworking spaces so that students can study safely under any circumstances.

The project's goal is to ensure a continuous educational process and become a platform for bringing together talented youth with businesses, as this space will operate permanently even after our victory.

The project is implemented by the company CLUST and the team from KPI with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Kyiv City State Administration.