YouControl and Its Contribution to the Development of Compliance Education in Ukraine
In Ukraine, YouControl focuses on improving transparency, risk awareness, and responsible decision-making by developing analytical tools based on open data for due diligence, sanctions screening, and counterparty verification. These activities support the practical application of compliance principles within the Ukrainian context.
The development of compliance in Ukraine is driven by economic transformation, anti-corruption reforms, international cooperation, and alignment with EU regulatory standards. As compliance continues to evolve as a professional field, education plays a vital role in strengthening regulatory awareness, ethical decision-making, and risk prevention.
Alongside its analytical activities, YouControl contributes to compliance education through YouControl Academy, which provides practice-oriented learning in business transparency, AML/KYC procedures, anti-fraud measures, and sanctions risk management in an accessible and applied format.
YouControl and YouControl Academy cooperate with the Erasmus+ CBHE project EUComplianceM4UA due to the project’s thematic relevance to their areas of activity, contributing applied expertise through consortium webinars and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
For universities, this cooperation helps bridge academic knowledge and real-world compliance practice by providing access to real cases and up-to-date analytical approaches that enrich teaching and support applied learning.
More detailed information about the company’s activities and its cooperation with universities is available at: https://youcontrol.academy/
Ukrainian Compliance Association: Driving Practical Impact Through Professional Engagement and Knowledge Leadership
The Ukrainian Compliance Association (UCA), established in 2021, is a key institutional actor promoting the development of compliance management in Ukraine through professional engagement, applied knowledge exchange, and alignment with EU regulatory standards. The Association brings together compliance professionals, academics, legal experts, and risk practitioners to strengthen ethical governance, transparency, and risk-based management across public and private sectors.
As Ukraine’s compliance ecosystem evolves alongside EU integration, anti-corruption reforms, and corporate governance modernization, UCA promotes compliance not merely as a control function, but as a strategic element of organizational decision-making and sustainability.
UCA’s impact is driven by its professional knowledge infrastructure, including webinars, expert round tables, and analytical publications. These formats support practice-oriented training, structured dialogue among key stakeholders, and the translation of complex EU regulatory frameworks into applied guidance. Through these activities, UCA contributes to capacity-building, professional standardization, and the effective implementation of compliance frameworks in organizations facing growing regulatory and reputational risks.
The Ukrainian Compliance Association cooperates with the Erasmus+ CBHE project EUCOMPLIANCEM4UA, reflecting a shared commitment to bridging academic knowledge and professional practice. In 2025, UCA and the EUCOMPLIANCEM4UA project formalized their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Cooperation, establishing a framework for long-term collaboration. Within the project, UCA supports dissemination, stakeholder engagement, and expert validation to ensure that project outputs remain professionally relevant, implementation-focused, and sustainable.
For higher education institutions, this cooperation strengthens curriculum relevance, integrates real-world compliance perspectives, and supports the long-term institutionalization of compliance education in Ukraine in line with European best practices.
Industry Visit to Calvelex (Portugal) - Bringing Compliance to Life Through a Real Supply Chain
On 7 October 2025, within the framework of the EUComplianceM4UA project, our Ukrainian–EU team had the privilege of visiting Calvelex, a Portuguese garment manufacturer located in Lousada (Northern Portugal) - in the heart of one of Europe’s most relevant textile-manufacturing hubs. https://www.calvelex.com/company/
Why Calvelex?
Calvelex is a family-rooted company founded in 1985 by brothers César and Marco Araújo, and it has grown from a small workshop into a large-scale, internationally oriented manufacturer focused on high-end womenswear. Today, Calvelex produces woven garments such as blazers, jackets, coats, dresses, trousers, and skirts, exporting to over 50 countries.
The scale of operations is impressive: the group operates two manufacturing units and two logistics centres, with an operating space of 30,000 sqm, employing more than 500 workers, and an installed capacity of around 600,000 pieces per year.
What we learned during the visit
During the visit, we observed the full production cycle - from pre-production to post-production—and discussed how a modern manufacturer combines craftsmanship traditions with updated technological equipment, production processes, and staff training to achieve efficiency and consistent quality.
A key takeaway for our project was Calvelex’s approach to transparency and partnership across the supply chain: the company positions itself not only as a manufacturer, but as a partner providing end-to-end services—from sourcing and pattern development to delivery under tailored logistics models.
Compliance & sustainability in practice: from “policy” to real decisions
For EUComplianceM4UA, the strongest learning moment was seeing how sustainability and responsible business practices are operationalised in a real industrial environment.
Calvelex’s sustainability policy explicitly connects ethics, social responsibility, and environmental practices with management decision-making. The company highlights integrated water/energy/waste management, workplace safety, and employee development as core pillars. https://www.calvelex.com/sustainability-policy/
We also discussed concrete actions that make these principles measurable, including solar panels, recycling, rationalising energy and water consumption, and a focus on minimising production waste through multiple in-process control checks. https://www.calvelex.com/sustainability-policy/
From a compliance-management lens, it was especially valuable to see how internationally recognised standards and audits support credibility in global markets. Calvelex references SMETA (Sedex Member Ethical Trade Audits) and explains its focus areas (environment, health & safety, business ethics, and labour standards). https://www.calvelex.com/certifications/
The company also presents its engagement with traceability and responsible sourcing through standards such as OCS, RCS, GRS, and RWS, and highlights certification logic linked to recycled/organic content, chain-of-custody, responsible social/environmental/chemical practices. https://www.calvelex.com/certifications/
Impact for EUComplianceM4UA: strengthening the university–business connection
This visit strengthened our understanding of how compliance management intersects with ESG, supply chain governance, audit readiness, and stakeholder communication - exactly the competence areas EUComplianceM4UA aims to embed in higher education.
An additional inspiring element was Calvelex’s Student 360 initiative: the company offers scheduled visits for student groups, collaborates with universities, and donates end-of-roll fabrics to support learning and creativity - an excellent example of structured university–industry engagement. https://www.calvelex.com/student-360/
What comes next
Insights and materials from the visit are being incorporated into EUComplianceM4UA dissemination and educational content as an applied example of: