Estonia supports Ukraine's efforts to digitalise its maritime sector

The MoU was signed this week during a visit to Estonia by Andrii Bratus, the deputy minister of Ukraine's Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories, and representatives of Ukrainian maritime organisations. The agreement states that ESTDEV will support the development of maritime information systems managed by Ukraine's State Service for Maritime, Inland Waterway Transport, and Shipping and facilitate the exchange of experience with corresponding Estonian institutions. 

The agreement lays the foundation for closer cooperation, including the development of the Ukrainian ship registry system and its alignment with international standards and European Union best practices. This year, Estonia's contribution focuses on refining the business logic, specifying business requirements, and further developing the necessary technical requirements.  

This is a crucial step in enhancing the resilience and efficiency of Ukraine's maritime sector. "By supporting the development of the Ukrainian ship register system, we are contributing to the creation of a more transparent and reliable maritime administrative environment, which is of great importance for the country's economic recovery and European Union integration. Estonia has strong maritime experience, as well as experience in transposing the EU legal framework, which we are now happy to share with Ukraine," said Andres Ääremaa, ESTDEV's programme manager for Digital Transformation. 

"Digital transformation is one of the components of the reconstruction of the Ukrainian maritime field. In accordance with the Recovery Plan, the Shipping Administration will work on creating a ship register and inspection database, for which Estonian colleagues will conduct a technical and economic analysis," said Mykola Kravchuk, head of Ukraine's State Service for Maritime, Inland Waterway Transport, and Shipping.  

Kravchuk and Klen Jäärats, ESTDEV's executive director, signed the cooperation agreement.