ITU International Newsletter 19-26.08.2024

Hey. Not even sure where to begin: Ukraine’s 33 years of Independence yet with our country being the cradle of Eastern European culture and history? Latest, quite drastic, developments of our defence? The resilience and unmatched innovative drive of Ukraine’s people, industries—including IT—and companies? Or, well, the expected (by now) digitalisation updates? Whatever your choice, stand with Ukraine and dive into our updates:

Spotlight

Ukraine Celebrates 33rd Independence Day

Despite defending from russian aggression for precisely a third of our country’s age, Ukrainians this Saturday were full of hope and determination. After all, hundreds of years of nation-building resulted in the democratic and brimming of potential nation-state that is Ukraine today. Our people are resilient and, despite all, we’re exporting our cutting-edge-quality services and products, including the IT industry that shows an unmatched quality of work, educates and develops the globally-applied technologies tested on the home bed, with the IT Ukraine Association as its avid supporter, a source of inspiration, support, comprehensive data and timely insights, and much more.

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and ??, and make sure you think in blue-and-yellow ????

Ukraine—a Digital State

Mriia: II Stage Ongoing, III Stage Starting September 1st

As it prepares for the launch, undergoing tests since July (we wrote at the break of August about the product being presented to the ITU and other IT industry representatives), Mriia is all ahead on the training—in the form of simulated real-life situations—for the teachers and school’s administrative staff. A quick recap: Mriia/Мр?я is an educational super-app that streamlines the assessment process, academic schedules and reflections, parent-teacher and class communication, and much more — see our LinkedIn post for details.?

As this academic year begins, many schools will begin real-world testing with further functionality, including extracurricular activity and skills portfolio, an extensive content library, and more.

Diia Digitises Yet Another Bureaucratic Process

Launched a year ago, the Shipping Administration service received over 33,000 applications. As of now, only the ship crews (every second one) can apply, but the list is soon to be expanded to include sailors of all ranks—from private to captain and even online graduates—who can submit rank assignments, qualifications confirmation, exams, complaints and other requests.?

This announcement joins an ever-growing public services list—see our July newsletter—of documents and applications processed 100% digitally (automated but overseen by humans, naturally): permits, licences, administrative filings, and 110+ services overall.

ITU Newsline

Digital Agro of Ukraine — 2024 AgriTech Research

Earlier this month, #ITUAgriTech Committee Companies Aggeek , FERM , Syngenta , SmartFarming & FRENDT presented a survey of 50 leading agricultural enterprises: 15 questionnaires were held in 4 stages, and the respondents totalling over 2,800. The Committee, which—as we mentioned in the July edition—stands at the intersection of the two strategic verticals for Ukraine. As one learns from the paper, over 15% of the agricultural sector already applies AI, almost 30% utilise satellite sourcing, 59% use drones, and over 80% turn to auto-piloting their machinery.?

Click here to access the complete research (image credit).

‘Good Morning BSS World’: Summer’24 Episodes

Since early 2022, the IT Ukraine Association Member Company speakers have been joining our partners Pro Progressio ’s (bi)weekly podcast hosted by the CEO Wiktor Doktór . So far this summer, ITU guests were featured in 4 episodes: No. 104 (June 10) with a-Gnostics Co-Founder Andrii Starzhynskyi ??♀??????? , No. 106 (July 5) with ITU CBDO Andrii Lytvyn , No. 107 (July 25) with Itera ’s Central Europe Director Taras Tovstyak , and No. 109 (August 14) with GIOS (Global Innovative Online School) CEO&Founder Nataliya Limonova .

Follow the ?? Thread for details on all 19 podcast episodes, and listen to each on YouTube, Spreaker, and Spotify.

Furthermore

UK-Ukraine Trade & Learning Opportunities Expand

On Thursday, a UK-Ukraine Agreement on political cooperation, free trade and strategic partnership was ratified. This is expected to have a liberalising effect on trade, expanding the export opportunities for Ukraine and allowing the countries to plan logistics and exchange high-value goods bilaterally.?

Both countries have been operating closely for the past two years in the digital tech realm (IT, after all, is an export industry). In February, the UK-Ukraine TechBridge was launched via the IT Ukraine Association and the techUK partnership as an implementation of the UK Government and the MDTU 2022 Memorandum and 2023 UK-Ukraine Digital Trade Agreement. Learn more in our January newsletter announcement and recent LinkedIn post on the current educational opportunities provided by the project’s partners.

Ukraine Facility: Q2 Wrapped, Now Implementing Q3 Steps

Following the EU Mission visit to Ukraine that has praised the Q2 EU-supported Ukraine Facility Plan—see previous newsletter editions for more—completion, a further 9-step plan was announced for Q3 of this year: 2040 Demographic Development Strategy, REMIT Law introduction, Deregulation Measures Plan, amendments to the 2027 Regional Development Strategy and the Criminal (Procedural) Code(s), 2025 Asset Recovery Strategy Action Plan, and increasing the numbers of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine. The successful implementation is to unlock a further €4b to be allocated in November, out of €12b total.

Buy Ukrainian — Get 10% Off

Starting next Monday, a National Cashback Programme—supported by 92% of Ukrainians, per Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy—will compensate 10% (up to ?3.000 a month) for purchases of any goods made in Ukraine. Citizens will be allowed to spend the credits returned on—among the categories—medical and utility bills, sports, cinema or train tickets, donate to the Army or buy its bonds. The responsibility for informing the clients on the applicability of the payback, as well as enrolling into the programme—underwritten directly by the National Bank of Ukraine —is laid upon the companies themselves (with the convenience of a Diia app&portal).