EBRD to Focus on Energy, Finance, Human Capital at URC2025 in Rome

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will sign key agreements and unveil new initiatives in five strategic areas at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) in Rome, with a strong emphasis on energy security, financial resilience, human capital, municipal infrastructure, and critical raw materials, The Gaze reports, citing Interfax Ukraine.

At the center of its efforts will be the launch of new energy projects, particularly in distributed generation and renewables. The bank also plans to present risk-mitigation instruments to attract more private investment into Ukraine’s green energy sector.

In addition, the EBRD will take over management of the Ukraine FIRST Fund, designed to streamline planning, financing, and implementation of recovery initiatives. A parallel fund will be administered by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The financial sector will see expanded support, with the EBRD backing partial risk coverage for local banks. This move will unlock up to €900 million in sub-loans for Ukrainian businesses operating in critical sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, logistics, and housing.

The bank also announced a new joint investment with the World Bank’s IFC into an early-stage tech fund as part of a broader €100 million strategy to mobilize up to €600 million in private equity, infrastructure, and venture capital funds.

EBRD officials confirmed that several Ukrainian cities will sign new agreements for loans, grants, and guarantees, continuing the bank’s support for municipal investment in public services and infrastructure.

Human capital will also be a key focus at URC2025. The EBRD, together with Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, will present the “Human Capital Resilience Charter”, highlighting its commitment to long-term, people-centered recovery — with 90% of current EBRD projects already integrating human capital elements.

Finally, the bank will spotlight critical raw materials, particularly its interest in Ukraine’s graphite reserves. It will back the second stage of digitalizing Ukraine’s geological archive, supporting the development of future extraction projects.

As Ukraine’s largest institutional investor, the EBRD has committed €7.2 billion since the start of the war and estimates Ukraine’s recovery needs at €446 billion.

Read more on The Gaze: Ukraine at Rome 2025: Rebuilding as a Strategy for Peace and Security