- Direction:
- GovTech
Innovation as a National Idea: Ukraine’s WINWIN 2030 Strategy for Global Impact
- Authors
- Valeriya Ionan
- Publication date and time:
- Reading time:
- 7 min
By Valeriya IONAN, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Innovations, Digitalisation and Global Partnerships
In today’s geopolitical landscape, innovation is no longer a policy ambition — it is a lever of national power, economic renewal, and global relevance. Around the world, governments are racing to adopt breakthrough technologies. But few have done so under the pressure Ukraine has faced — or at the pace we’ve sustained
Ukraine has already proven that it can deliver innovation at scale, under pressure, and with purpose. From the creation of Diia — now serving over 22 million users — the deployment of Brave1 to accelerate defense tech, and the expansion of national digital education tools, Ukraine has consistently treated innovation as a tool of resilience and governance.
Each of these innovations reflects Ukraine’s core approach: identify the need, unite the right teams, and build for scale. WINWIN moves innovation from crisis response to systemic policy, elevating it to the level of the national idea. WINWIN 2030 applies this same delivery-driven logic to national innovation policy.
A National Strategy with Global Vision
WINWIN 2030 — Ukraine’s Global Innovation Strategy — is a national strategy adopted by the Ukrainian Government. It was developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and other institutions, with support from international partners.
Its core vision is to position Ukraine as a global leader in technology and innovation by creating a platform for breakthrough ideas — ones that fuel both economic recovery and long-term resilience, for example, by opening markets and providing fast-track support for innovative businesses to start and scale in Ukraine.
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Strategic Pillars for Systemic Impact
The implementation of the strategy marks a critical step toward Ukraine’s economic breakthrough, transforming the country into a regional innovation leader in Europe. It is designed to foster the development of a robust digital economy, enable the creation of high-value products and services, expand export potential, strengthen transparency and reduce corruption risks, improve citizens’ access to healthcare, education, and social support, enhance resilience to demographic and security challenges, empower entrepreneurs, and integrate into global innovation ecosystems.
Principles That Drive WINWIN
The strategy is guided by key implementation principles: transparency and openness with clear rules; the state acting as a market architect balancing deregulation with strategic governance; public–private co-investment; a focus on strategic outcomes targeting sectors that drive national security and economic competitiveness; inclusivity and social impact ensuring innovation benefits all communities; ecosystem collaboration through clusters, science parks, and public-private labs; financial sustainability with long-term planning and predictable funding; global integration aligning with EU and international programs; and feedback and adaptability through continuous evaluation and agile policy response.
Designing for Delivery
WINWIN is not simply a policy document — it’s a structural reform program that embeds innovation into the architecture of governance. It strengthens Ukraine’s national capacity to develop and scale new ideas across sectors.
Key components of the strategy include:
- Opening access to global markets for Ukrainian innovation
- Developing infrastructure such as technology parks, incubators, and R&D hubs
- Simplifying regulation to accelerate safe testing and implementation
- Modernizing innovation governance across public institutions
- Strengthening the protection and commercialization of intellectual property
- Supporting both applied and fundamental scientific research
- Fostering inclusive access to innovation across all regions
- Deepening cooperation with international governments and partners
WINWIN redefines the role of government, not as a gatekeeper but as an enabler. It is a platform where regulation supports experimentation, market access is accelerated, and public needs drive technological development.
14 Sectors, One Systemic Strategy
WINWIN 2030 defines 14 priority innovation sectors:
DefenseTech
Ukraine’s battlefield innovation becomes a global security OS.
Mission: To transform defense technologies into a global, intelligent operating system for national security, spanning unmanned systems, AI, advanced materials, and space-enabled capabilities.
MedTech
Personalized, tech-powered care to restore life and resilience.
Mission: To build an innovative healthcare system that uses technology to restore human potential and quality of life through personalized physical, mental, and social care.
BioTech
Solutions for regenerative agriculture, climate, and health.
Mission: To position Ukraine as a biotech innovation hub, advancing regenerative solutions in medicine, agriculture, and environmental restoration.
EdTech
Future-ready learning systems built for scale and inclusion.
Mission: To develop a future-ready education ecosystem that attracts, equips, and re-engages top talent through accessible, personalized, lifelong learning technologies.
GovTech
Seamless public services powered by predictive analytics.
Mission: To create the world’s most advanced digital governance system, where technology guarantees freedom, mobility, and efficiency for both citizens and business.
AgriTech
From soil to satellite, ecological food innovation.
Mission: To establish Ukraine as a high-tech agricultural leader, combining human capital, natural assets, and innovation to ensure global food security and ecological renewal.
Semiconductors
Niche chip manufacturing and global value chain entry.
Mission: To leverage Ukraine’s semiconductor heritage to build niche production capabilities and integrate into reconfigured global value chains.
AI
A national engine of productivity — from governance to export.
Mission: To make artificial intelligence a strategic tool for public institutions, business growth, and quality of life, including the development of Ukrainian-language models and decision-making systems.
XR
Immersive technologies as standard infrastructure.
Mission: To become the first country where immersive technologies are a social norm, integrated into cities, industries, defense, and citizen services.
SpaceTech
A new launchpad for sovereign tech and global space collaboration.
Mission: To secure Ukraine’s role in the global space economy — advancing satellite development, space-enabled infrastructure, and international cooperation.
Unmanned & Autonomous Systems
Leading in autonomous mobility for defense, logistics, and agriculture.
Mission: To become a global hub for the development and deployment of autonomous technologies — from agricultural drones to defense and industrial applications.
GreenTech
Driving decarbonization, smart grids, and clean industry.
Mission: To lead the global transition to sustainable industry through innovation in green energy, smart infrastructure, and eco-conscious manufacturing.
Secure Cyberspace
Building sovereign digital resilience and exporting cybersecurity.
Mission: To strengthen global security through cutting-edge cyber solutions — defending critical infrastructure, growing talent, and exporting resilient technologies.
Fluid Economy
A seamless digital economy, open for global business and investment.
Mission: To position Ukraine as a borderless digital economy — with smart regulation, open infrastructure, and continuous access to financial and tech tools.
Each strategic sector is supported by a dedicated roadmap or sectoral strategy structured around five core pillars:
- Regulatory and Legal Framework — identifying and implementing necessary reforms to open markets, remove barriers, and create the most business- and innovation-friendly environment.
- Economic Impact Forecast — modeling the sector’s contribution to GDP growth, investment attraction, and stimulation of adjacent industries.
- Education and Talent Development — introducing new professions, ensuring workforce reskilling, and closing the gap between educational systems and market demands.
- Pilot Projects — launching real-world initiatives that showcase the value of innovation and prepare society for broader adoption.
- Centers of Excellence (CoE) — institutional platforms that coordinate cross-sectoral innovation by bringing together government, academia, and industry. The first WINWIN Center of Excellence, focused on Artificial Intelligence, is already operational. Two more CoEs in other priority sectors are set to launch by the end of the year.
A Platform for Global Partnership
Ukraine’s innovation agenda is open by design, and WINWIN 2030 outlines clear benefits for international cooperation.
For governments:
- Access to highly skilled, engineering-based talent
- Practical, scalable solutions tested under crisis conditions
- Strategic collaboration in areas like defense tech and cybersecurity
- Technology transfer and knowledge exchange frameworks
- Joint scientific research in frontier sectors
For business:
- Talent-rich, cost-efficient R&D environment
- Entry points into new markets through Ukrainian partners
- Co-development opportunities in high-impact tech areas
- Investment potential across deep tech and digital public services
- Supply chain diversification with trusted partners
Real Outcomes, Proven Approach
Ukraine’s drone sector demonstrates how regulatory reform and market access translate into rapid innovation. Just three years after deregulating the market and opening access, the number of drone companies expanded from 7 to over 500. That success now guides how we’re approaching AI, semiconductors, MedTech, BioTech, and other frontier sectors.
WINWIN bridges science and entrepreneurship. It connects researchers and developers with industry and state institutions, ensuring that ideas are not only discovered but also deployed.
At the same time, it anchors Ukraine’s role in Europe’s long-term innovation agenda, contributing directly to continental technological sovereignty and economic resilience.
Why Now Is the Moment to Partner with Ukraine on Innovation
Ukraine isn’t merely innovating — we’re operating at the frontier of possibility. From AI-powered defense systems to fully digital public services, from battlefield-hardened logistics to future-proof education platforms, innovation here is not a slogan. It’s a system. It’s national infrastructure.
With WINWIN 2030, we’ve transformed our wartime agility into a long-term innovation strategy — focused on execution, resilience, and global relevance. This is not about recovery alone. It’s about building a model for how democracies can lead in strategic technologies.
For governments, this is an opportunity to co-design agile governance models, test regulatory sandboxes, and strengthen digital sovereignty together.
For businesses, it’s a chance to access world-class tech talent, fast-track product development, and jointly enter new markets.
For universities and R&D hubs, it means opening the door to unmatched real-world data, dual-use tech collaboration, and pilot opportunities that shape the future.
Ukraine treats innovation as a national idea. We are ready to scale what works — and we’re inviting the world to do it with us.
If you believe in innovation that delivers, now is the time to partner with Ukraine.
