HOPE Ukraine presents the SIMPLE project at the FederlegnoArredo conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine
Lead: On 1 September 2026, HOPE Ukraine Foundation ETS took part in the FederlegnoArredo conference in Milan, presenting the EU co-funded SIMPLE project to the Italian wood-furniture supply chain.
The hybrid conference “Posizionamento strategico e attività in corso per la Ricostruzione dell’Ucraina” (Strategic Positioning and Ongoing Activities for the Reconstruction of Ukraine) was organised by FederlegnoArredo (FLA), the Italian federation of the wood and furniture industry, at its Milan headquarters and online. By 28 August 2026, 54 member companies had joined FLA’s initiative to prepare for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
FLA presented its “Progetto Ucraina”, developed with ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale) and Italian and Ukrainian institutions, including the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI), the Italian Embassy in Kyiv and ICE-ITA. Its first pilot projects include an underground kindergarten for 140 children in the Zaporizhzhia region, prefabricated timber housing modules in Vinnytsia and a training programme on Italian design for Ukrainian architects.
Connecting online, HOPE Ukraine President Marco Toson presented SIMPLE as the human-capital dimension of this strategy: the integration of Ukrainian citizens living in Italy and Europe into work and training.
Integration today, reconstruction tomorrow
The presentation highlighted the dual value of the SIMPLE model. Today, it offers pathways back into employment for Ukrainians displaced by the war, through vocational training and placement in Italian companies. Tomorrow, qualified Ukrainian professionals trained in Italian companies can act as a bridge between the Italian production chain and the reconstruction market.
About SIMPLE
SIMPLE (Social Innovation Models to Promote Learning and Employability) is a project co-funded by the European Union under the ESF Social Innovation+ initiative (project reference ESF-SI-2024-UA-01-0028), bringing together eight partner organisations from Poland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Hungary and Croatia. The project designs, pilots and scales innovative models to strengthen the employability and integration of Ukrainian refugees across Europe. In Italy, HOPE Ukraine Foundation ETS leads the pilot supporting Ukrainian refugee women through tailored empowerment, entrepreneurship, and stakeholder-engagement activities.
Funding statement
Funded by the European Union.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Social Fund Agency. Neither the European Union nor the Granting Authority can be held responsible for them.