On July 31, the Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Ukraine, Priscilla Toffano, visited Lviv. As part of her visit, she met with Lviv City Mayor Andriy Sadovyy. The meeting, held at City Hall, was also attended by IMF office economists Vlad Filatov, Taras Ivanyshyn, and Ihor Shpak, First Deputy Mayor Andriy Moskalenko, and Deputy Mayor for International Cooperation Serhiy Kiral.
The visit focused on the city’s resilience, support for local businesses, and the development of entrepreneurship during wartime.
Andriy Sadovyy presented the delegation with major projects that have already been implemented in the city as part of building the UNBROKEN ecosystem with the support of international partners, and spoke about new initiatives currently underway.
“Lviv has established strong cooperation with many European cities, which has helped us implement a large number of important projects to support people affected by the war — and to do so in the shortest time possible,” noted Andriy Sadovyy. “For example, the UNBROKEN rehabilitation center was created not only for Lviv. It is a model for all Ukrainian cities. We are ready to share our experience so that other regions can modernize their medical institutions. And this applies not only to healthcare but also to other modern and innovative projects.”
During the meeting, Priscilla Toffano expressed her admiration for Lviv, particularly how large-scale social projects can be implemented — and entire buildings constructed — within months during wartime, whereas in parts of Europe, this could take years.
As part of the visit, the IMF delegation toured several key locations:
Lem Station – An example of transforming urban infrastructure into a creative space. Discussions were held about the future of Ukrainian cities together with Yaroslav Lyubinets, co-founder of SoftServe, and Nataliya Shakhovska, rector of Lviv Polytechnic National University.
Lviv IT Cluster – The team presented the IMF delegation with Ukraine’s largest tech conference, IT Arena, and the CodeUA platform, which supports Ukrainian IT companies in entering international markets. Deputy CEO Yuriy Ohonovskyi spoke about initiatives that strengthen the country’s economic resilience.
Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) – Priscilla Toffano highlighted the importance of visiting one of the top universities in Ukraine, especially in wartime. Vice-Rector Nataliya Klymovska spoke about the university’s focus on students and creating proper conditions for learning.
Jam Factory Art Center – Here, the IMF delegation met with representatives of the European Business Association (EBA) in Lviv to discuss challenges facing businesses, investment potential, and the role of institutions in supporting the economy.
Formatsia Industrial Park and Sparrow Park Lviv – These industrial parks showcase Lviv’s potential in manufacturing, logistics, and job creation, even under martial law.
In conclusion, Priscilla Toffano emphasized that she wanted to personally witness how Ukraine’s key institutions operate during the war. Lviv once again proved itself to be a city with strong human capital, developed infrastructure, and a commitment to sustainable development.
Lviv thanks the IMF team for their open dialogue, support for reforms, and genuine interest in the development of the city and the country. The city continues to invest — in people, infrastructure, and partnerships.
