Direction:

GovTech

Ukraine’s Digital Model Gets Global Spotlight

Publication date and time:

Jul 29, 2025, 17:13

Reading time:

2 min

Ukraine’s innovative approach to digital transformation during wartime has gained global recognition in a new op-ed by Valeriya Ionan, Advisor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine on Innovations, Digitalisation and Global Partnerships.

In the op-ed, Ionan challenges the traditional view that public institutions must choose between resilience and innovation. Instead, she argues that governments can adopt key startup principles—such as agility, speed, and user-centric design — while maintaining their core public mission.

Drawing on Ukraine’s experience since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, the article highlights how digital tools have enabled the government to respond quickly, build trust, and continue delivering essential services.

Key examples include:

• Air Alert app: Developed in partnership with Ajax Systems and STFalcon within days of the invasion, this app delivers missile alerts directly to smartphones—solving a critical gap left by outdated sirens.
• Diia ecosystem: Now used by over 22 million Ukrainians, Diia was built iteratively using real user feedback, growing from a handful of digital services into a central platform for government-citizen interaction.

This is not about turning governments into businesses. It’s about enhancing our capacity to serve citizens by combining institutional stability with modern tools.

The article positions Ukraine’s digital transformation not only as a wartime necessity but also as a forward-thinking model for governments facing complex, rapidly evolving challenges.

Read the full article on GovTech Intelligence Hub

Shortened version republished by the World Economic Forum