National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute» has brought together the global expert community for the 16th time at the International Conference on «Integrated Strategic Management, Portfolio, Program, and Project Management (Integrated Management–2026). This year, the forum brought together 135 scientists and practitioners from Japan, the United States, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine. The discussions focused on the most pressing challenges of our time: the transformation of management through AI, investment risk management, and the resilience of critical infrastructure in times of global turbulence. The central event was a presentation by world-renowned project management guru Professor Hiroshi Tanaka (Japan), who demonstrated how advanced planning increases the effectiveness of critically important projects for Ukraine. The conference was held in English in an online format.
Following the successful International Conference in 2025, NTU «KhPI» significantly expanded its geography and scope. In 2026, the XVI International Scientific and Practical Forum «Integrated Strategic Management, Portfolio, Program, and Project Management» brought together 135 scientists and practitioners from seven countries: Japan, the United States, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine. This year, it was opened by Professor Roman Korzh, First Vice-Rector of Lviv Polytechnic National University. The conference program was rich and covered a wide range of topical issues, from strategic management and digital transformation to the implementation of artificial intelligence and risk management. The central event was a presentation by Professor Hiroshi Tanaka, founder and president of the Project Management Association of Japan (PMAJ) and a recognized global expert, who explained the crucial role of front-end planning in improving the efficiency of large-scale projects in the oil and gas, automotive, and construction industries. In his speech, the professor adapted Japan’s experience to the current conditions in Ukraine.
Key speakers included Professor Sergey Bushuev, President of the Ukrainian Project Management Association (UPMA), who revealed the potential of AI as a tool for strengthening leadership and ethical management; Professor Igbal Babayev, President of the Azerbaijan Project Management Association (AzPMA) Professor Igbal Babayev and AzPMA Executive Director Fatima Akhundova, who focused on the risks of investment projects in an unstable environment; and Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship at the University of National and World Economy (Bulgaria) Kostadin Kolarov, who highlighted the role of local authorities in supporting social entrepreneurship. Representatives of leading Kharkiv universities made a significant contribution to the scientific discussion. Igor Kononenko, Professor of the Department of Project Management in Information Technologies at NTU «KhPI», proposed a model of fuzzy intervals for forming project teams, which allows for effective evaluation of candidates in conditions of high uncertainty. In turn, Professor Marina Novozhilova (O. M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv (O.M. Beketov NUUEKh) presented an approach to integrating sustainability principles into the management of a portfolio of urban infrastructure projects, emphasizing the balance between economic feasibility and the ability of systems to adapt quickly.
For the first time in the history of the conference, a separate thematic block was devoted to the development and practical application of artificial intelligence. It was here that reports were presented demonstrating real cases of AI solutions implementation in project management and the IT industry. Practical results were presented by scientists from NTU «KhPI»: from the Department of Project Management in Information Technologies, reports were given by the head of the department, Associate Professor Marina Grinchenko, and graduate students Dmytro Kutsenko, Oleksandr Lysenko, Vlad Malyarenko, as well as student of group KN-M525 Daryna Lisova; The Department of Software Engineering and Intelligent Management Technologies was represented by its head, Associate Professor Andrii Kopp, Professor Olha Cherednichenko, and graduate students Ivan Nesterenko and Oleksandr Sutyagin. Representatives of the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, Associate Professor Yevheniia Boiko and master’s student Oleg Zadorozhnyi, also gave presentations.
A collection of abstracts has been prepared based on the conference proceedings.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the team at NTU «KhPI» for their significant contribution to the organization and successful conduct of the conference, in particular to the chair of the «Integrated Management–2026» program committee, Igor Kononenko, and his colleagues—Iryna Shuba, Marina Grinchenko, and Olena Lobach—for their high professionalism, dedication, and impeccable coordination of the event.
Note:
The International Scientific and Practical Conference «Integrated Strategic Management, Portfolio, Program, and Project Management» is an annual scientific forum established in 2010 by the Department of Project Management in Information Technologies of the National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute» (formerly the Department of Strategic Management) with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Project Management Association, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, and the Azerbaijan Project Management Association. The conference brings together researchers, practitioners, and experts from around the world, including Ukraine, Japan, Bulgaria, Great Britain, the United States, and Azerbaijan, to exchange knowledge and discuss modern approaches to strategic, portfolio, program, and project management. Particular attention is paid to the challenges of digitalization, uncertainty, and the application of artificial intelligence, and participants’ materials are published in collections of abstracts, which contributes to the development of theory and practice in management disciplines. In 2026, the conference was held online on 17–19 February.
The Department of Project Management in Information Technology at NTU «KhPI» trains full-time bachelor’s degree students in the specialty 122-«Computer Science» in the educational program Computer Science with the following specializations: «Project Management in Information Technology,» as well as full-time and part-time master’s students in the specialty 122-Computer Science in the educational program «Project Management in Information Technology.» The department was established in 2000. It brings together specialists with many years of experience in the field of creating models, methods, information technologies for forecasting, strategic management, portfolio management, programs, and projects. The department staff has extensive experience in consulting and conducting training for business structures and government agencies.