Ukraine prepares national AI strategy together with Estonian experts

Estonia's experience building a digital state has shown that the well-thought-out, ethical implementation of technology significantly benefits both the economy and state security. ESTDEV is funding the project with nearly 250,000 euros through this year's Ukrainian call for proposals. Digital Nation OÜ will convene a group of Estonian experts to develop the strategy along with partners from Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation. The strategy will be adopted by the end of 2025.  

"Our goal is to help Ukraine create a strategy that not only focuses on technology but also strengthens the country's capabilities and resilience. Estonia has a long experience in developing and implementing AI strategies. The first national AI strategy, known as the Krat strategy, was adopted back in 2019 and has since been consistently updated. We want Ukraine to be able to use the potential of the AI sector in the same way, to strengthen its digital state and support long-term economic growth," said Andres Ääremaa, programme manager for eGovernance and Cybersecurity at ESTDEV. 

Ukraine has made significant progress in developing its digital state and economy in recent years. One of this year's priorities is to create a national AI strategy to guide the use of AI in national security, the economy and the public sector. According to Danylo Tsvok, Chief AI Officer of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and CEO of the WINWIN AI Center of Excellence, an AI strategy is more than just a document. 

“It’s about how technology can serve society, strengthen our resilience and unlock new opportunities for the state and its citizens. The most valuable part of this process is the involvement of experts from various sectors, united by a shared goal: to define how the state will develop AI in key areas and to shape a vision for Ukraine’s AI future based on ethical principles, real needs and international best practices,” said Tsvok.  

"We are honoured to support our Ukrainian partners in creating a national AI strategy, bringing Digital Nation's international experience and lessons learned from implementing AI in Estonia and around the world to this process. The project team includes former Estonian national IT leaders as well as AI and digital policy experts who will help guide the content of the strategy. Ukraine's journey is inspiring. This project is not only about sharing knowledge, but also about mutual learning," said Siim Sikkut, co-founder and managing partner of Digital Nation. 

Ukraine continues to be Estonia's most important development cooperation target country. Alongside education and infrastructure, digital cooperation remains a cornerstone of Estonia’s efforts in Ukraine’s reconstruction. In 2025, the ESTDEV Ukraine programme budget will total 12 million euros.