Direction:

GovTech

UCL and Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation forge strategic partnership to drive innovation

Publication date and time:

Nov 07, 2025, 13:10

Reading time:

3 min

The partnership aligns Ukraine's ambitious WINWIN Global Innovation Strategy until 2030 — with UCL's Grand Challenges programme, commencing with its “Data-Empowered Societies” theme.

This cooperation positions UCL as a key academic partner in supporting Ukraine's vision to become a global technology and innovation leader by 2030, whilst advancing research that addresses pressing societal challenges through data-driven innovation.

Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation is pursuing an ambitious strategy to transform the country into a global technology and innovation leader, and UCL is proud to partner with them in support of this vision. Building upon the extensive synergies identified between Ukraine's WINWIN Strategy and our Grand Challenge of Data-Empowered Societies, I hope that this partnership will give rise to a wealth of collaboration opportunities that can make a tangible contribution to Ukraine's recovery, whilst advancing our shared commitment to ensuring that data and technology serve human needs and empower communities.

The partnership with UCL marks a new stage in building cooperation between science, government and technology. We are combining academic expertise with a strategic vision for innovation to strengthen the role of data in public decision-making and enhance the efficiency of governance. Ukraine has already proven its ability to scale innovation even under pressure — now we are doing it on a global level. This partnership will open new opportunities for Ukrainian researchers, professionals, and startups.

Ukraine's WINWIN Strategy, led by the MDT, seeks to transform the country into a regional innovation hub across fourteen priority sectors. The strategy emphasises opening markets, developing innovation infrastructure, strengthening human capital, and fostering international cooperation.

Through the realisation of the WINWIN Strategy, innovation for Ukraine is becoming more than a policy — it’s a national idea and a systemic driver of resilience, recovery, and growth. The Strategy positions Ukraine as a hub for innovation and collaboration, where government, academia, and business co-create solutions with global impact. Our partnership with UCL strengthens this mission by connecting Ukraine’s innovation ecosystem with world-class research and knowledge exchange — ensuring that data, knowledge, and technology truly serve people and empower societies.

The partnership with UCL will initially focus on several complementary areas identified by UCL and the MDT, including government technology and judicial technology, data and artificial intelligence systems, sovereign large language models, and education including educational technologies.

This partnership provides an opportunity to demonstrate how data can be harnessed to empower communities and support a sustainable, peaceful transition for Ukraine. UCL’s expertise in data-informed decision-making and societal resilience places us in a strong position to contribute meaningfully to Ukraine’s recovery and long-term stability. By working together, we can ensure that data serves as a catalyst for inclusive progress and prosperity.

Launched in October 2024, UCL's Grand Challenge of Data-Empowered Societies aims to foster innovations that empower communities, protect privacy, and promote equity. The challenge brings together interdisciplinary research expertise to ensure that data-driven advances serve human needs whilst addressing concerns about fairness, inclusion, and ethical technology use.