The energy sector and defense industry top the list of the most promising areas for investment in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian and international business representatives.
That's according to a Business Ombudsman Council (BOC) survey, "Current Challenges to Business and Ukraine's Investment Attractiveness," in which 60% of respondents named energy as promising and 53.2% named the defense industry. The IT sector (42.5%), construction (38.1%) and agriculture (35.4%) also ranked among the top industries.
Despite the ongoing war, international interest in the Ukrainian market remains: none of the foreign business representatives surveyed said they had no interest at all in investing in Ukraine. More than a third of foreign companies (35%) rated their familiarity with the local business climate as high. Foreign investors consider direct investment in already-operating enterprises and forming joint business partnerships with Ukrainian companies to be the most common ways of entering the market.
War-related risks remain the main obstacle to opening or expanding foreign business, cited by 75% of respondents.
At the same time, institutional factors play a decisive role: to improve the investment climate, 90% of foreign investors point to the need to reduce corruption, 75% to simplifying administrative procedures, and 65% to ensuring access to justice. Tax incentives or the creation of special economic zones, by contrast, rank as much lower priorities for investors.
Ukraine's course toward EU integration has a strong positive effect on investment decisions for 94.9% of international companies, serving as a signal of long-term stability and regulatory alignment. Among Ukrainian businesses, meanwhile, 61.1% already actively export to EU countries, and another 9.9% plan to start exporting soon. Businesses cite high financial costs (45.5%), stiff competition (38.9%) and the difficulty of certifying products to European standards (36.2%) as the main barriers to entering the EU market.
The survey covered 319 Ukrainian companies from 20 regions. Fieldwork ran from May 14 to June 4, 2026.
