This article summarizes some of the challenges as well as opportunities that Ukraine is faced with in a post-Russian invasion world.

In addition to the brain-drain effect of talented scientists leaving the country, Ukraine has some structural issues as well:

The current research system is composed largely of the Soviet-style national science academy — for which the research agenda was historically set by state officials — and a university sector in which research is funded by the science ministry.

Entirely lacking is a modern, performance-based grant-giving system…the centrepiece of a new system would include funding streams for basic research, competitive grants and defence-related projects. Ukraine’s research strengths include agricultural technology, energy and planetary science

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02031-8