Interview with the Deputy Minister for European Integration of Ukraine: Valeriya Ionan

Digital transformation is redefining governance, and making public services more accessible, transparent, and inclusive for citizens worldwide. In Ukraine, the Ministry of Digital Transformation has been at the forefront of this revolution under the leadership of Mykhailo FEDOROV, Vice Prime Minister, deputies (including Valeriya IONAN), and the team, playing a vital role in driving change. As a result, the Diia ecosystem has emerged as a model of innovation, simplifying government services, supporting education and businesses, and demonstrating how collaboration with initiatives like GovStack can enable scalable, interoperable, and secure digital solutions.

Valeriya IONAN is the Deputy Minister for European Integration and she is a co-creator of the Diia Ecosystem, including Diia.Education and Diia.Business, and she leads the innovation track Ukrainian Global Innovation Strategy 2030 (WINWIN). Valeriya is also promoting regional digital transformation, building capacity for Chief Digital Transformation Officers and future public sector leaders through the CDTO Campus, enhancing European integration, and strengthening Ukraine’s Digital Brand globally with Digital State UA. Valeriya is playing a pivotal role in coordinating key international initiatives for Ukraine’s digital resilience, such as the Tallinn Mechanism, and attracting leading GovTech and innovative initiatives to Ukraine. The GGTC Kyiv was opened in December 2024. Her efforts in fostering international partnerships and promoting Ukrainian GovTech solutions have positioned Ukraine as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation. This interview delves into Valeriya’s journey and her vision for leveraging technology to transform the relationship between governments and citizens.

1. Can you start by telling us what drives your passion for digital transformation in Ukraine?

I sincerely believe that technology holds the power to transform inefficient, outdated bureaucratic systems that hinder progress. It has the potential to revolutionize how governments operate, how they interact with citizens, and how societies solve their biggest challenges.

Digitalization is not just a trend — it is the foundation of everything. Smart approaches, automation, artificial intelligence, and innovative solutions shape a future where technology serves humanity, improves lives, and drives societal progress. I envision a future where governments become true partners to their citizens and technology becomes a tool that grants freedom and opportunity. A nation where artificial intelligence and digital solutions are seamlessly integrated into every sector — from defense to education, from healthcare to the economy.

Innovation is not just about progress — it’s about humanity and improving quality of life. It’s a pathway to building the most convenient, forward-thinking country in the world that inspires, leads, and proves meaningful change is possible.

That’s why the vision of the Ministry of Digital Transformation — to create the most convenient digital state — resonates so deeply with me. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to achieve as a team under the leadership of Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov over the past five years. One of the most efficient results — the Diia ecosystem, which consists of the:

• Diia app: state super app used by over 22 million Ukrainians, offering 28 digital documents, 30+ services, and even a digital signature within the app.
• Diia Web Portal: governmental portal with over 130 services
• Diia.Business: a national project for SMEs with a portal that contains over 130 free tools and services, including expert consultations, grants, and access to international trade opportunities, and a network of 14 offline Diia.Business hubs around Ukraine and 1 in Warsaw.
• Diia.Education: а national edutainment platform for reskilling and digital literacy, with over 2.4 million Ukrainians engaging in interactive lessons and career tools.
• Diia.City: а unique legal and tax space fostering IT business development, supporting over 1,560 resident companies, including global tech leaders.
• Diia.Engine: а low-code open-source tool that empowers government agencies to create services efficiently.

Each part of the ecosystem is designed with a clear purpose: to simplify life, empower citizens, and build resilience. Whether helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses, supporting citizens in war-torn areas, or improving digital skills, the Diia ecosystem is about creating a Ukraine that works for its people. In addition, the Ministry of Digital Transformation is also leading the development of other key projects such as CDTO Campus, IT-Studios, Brave1, CodeUA, uResidency, Digital State UA, WINWIN, GGTC Kyiv, and more, further strengthening Ukraine’s position as a global leader in digital innovation.

2. The GovStack approach focuses on interoperability and inclusive digital public infrastructure journeys for governments, in your opinion, what defines a truly groundbreaking digital public infrastructure solution?

A truly groundbreaking digital public infrastructure solution is defined by its ability to transform how governments and citizens interact, making public services more accessible, transparent, and inclusive. The GovStack approach, which focuses on interoperability, open source, and inclusivity, provides a clear framework for building such solutions.

A critical aspect of this is a mobile-first design philosophy. By prioritizing mobile accessibility, public services align with how people use technology daily. The Diia app embodies this by allowing users to seamlessly access services, share documents, and conduct smartphone transactions. This mobility integration ensures convenience and usability, evident in features like contactless payments for public transportation and instant access to government services.

Web 3.0 also emphasizes decentralized data systems, which enhance security and resilience by reducing reliance on centralized hubs. Ukraine’s Diia ecosystem integrates this principle through features such as Diia.Signature, where sensitive data is distributed between secure cloud environments and users’ devices. This approach strengthens data protection and empowers users with greater control over their information.

Artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in modernizing digital public infrastructure. In Ukraine, AI-powered tools enable proactive services, chatbots, and automated support systems that efficiently anticipate and address citizen needs. These innovations ensure public services are reactive and pre-emptive, creating a more responsive and personalized user experience.

Open-source technology underpins the adaptability and scalability of groundbreaking solutions. Ukraine’s decision to open-source the Diia platform and Diia.Engine has allowed other nations to adopt and customize its digital governance framework, facilitating collaboration and accelerating the spread of effective solutions worldwide. This commitment to openness has positioned Diia as a global model for digital transformation.

Inclusivity is another cornerstone of a truly innovative public infrastructure. By ensuring access for all citizens, regardless of technical proficiency or location, digital solutions bridge societal gaps. Ukraine has prioritized accessibility through initiatives like Diia.Education, which has reached millions with digital literacy programs, and a network of thousands of digital hubs providing free internet access. In pursuit of inclusivity, Ukraine implements widespread compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards, globally recognized criteria for digital accessibility, across GovTech web and mobile resources. These efforts ensure that public services cater to everyone, including vulnerable populations.

3. How has the partnership with GovStack, contributed to Ukraine’s digital innovation?

Last year, Diia.Engine already gained international recognition: more than 70% of the platform’s technical specifications comply with GovStack standards. This means that most of Diia.Engine’s components can be reused to build digital platforms for service automation in other countries without reworking them. At the same time, the rest needs to be localized to the specifics of a particular country. In this regard, we are also grateful to our partners because Diia.Engine platform was developed, in particular, as part of projects implemented by GIZ Ukraine on behalf of the German government.

With the support of the GovStack initiative, the Diia.Engine has been reviewed by technical teams from several countries, including Germany, North Macedonia, and others. This collaborative effort has allowed us to gather valuable feedback and shape the future development of international components for the platform.

4. If you could point to one moment in your work that made you feel particularly proud of Ukraine’s progress, what would it be?

If I were to point to one fact that genuinely makes me proud of Ukraine’s progress, it would be how Diia evolved and demonstrated its resilience during the pandemic and full-scale russian invasion. Watching this grow from an ambitious vision into an essential lifeline for millions of Ukrainians has been nothing short of remarkable.

When we first launched Diia, the goal was clear: to make government services more accessible and convenient for Ukrainians by creating a ’state in a smartphone.‘ In just a few years, we became the first country to introduce fully digital passports and offer one of the world’s fastest fully automated business registration — up to 10 minutes. Ukraine has also been called a European digital transformation tiger. This year, Diia became one of the world’s best inventions, according to TIME. The award was given for Online Marriage, the world’s first fully digital marriage process for Ukrainians via the Diia app.

Other countries are now using Ukraine’s digital journey as a model for their governments, which only reinforces how much we’ve achieved together. Diia is not just a tool; it’s strong proof that progress is possible even in the darkest times. That makes me incredibly proud.

This progress is further exemplified by the success of projects from the Diia ecosystem I lead – Diia.Education and Diia.Business.

Diia.Education, launched in 2020, has become a national platform for reskilling and digital literacy. With more than 2.4 million users, 205+ educational series, 60+ interactive simulators, and partnerships with significant job platforms, it supports tailored career development and job placement. Over 6 million citizens have participated in digital literacy programs, significantly improving their digital skills — since 2019, the share of citizens with basic digital literacy has increased by 12.6%.

Diia.Business has grown into a comprehensive support system for SMEs, functioning as both an online platform offering consultations, funding opportunities, and educational programs and as a network of offline support centers across Ukraine. These NGO-operated centers provide vital services to entrepreneurs, from business advice to market expansion tools. They serve as key access points for expert consultations, networking, and testing business ideas. In 2022, Diia.Business received major international awards and ranked top in the OECD’s 2024 SMB Policy Index. The 2024 relaunch introduced specialized sections for digital transformation, women entrepreneurs, and exporters, further driving resilience and growth in Ukraine’s business sector.

5. What lessons from Ukraine’s experience with Diia.Engine and other innovations could serve as inspiration for other countries?

Ukraine’s digital transformation journey provides unique lessons for other countries, emphasizing the transformative potential of vision, innovation, and adaptability in public governance. At the heart of Ukraine’s success is its ability to align technology with human-centric goals despite unprecedented challenges like war and a pandemic.

One of the standout lessons from Ukraine’s experience is the power of rebuilding systems, not just digitizing them. When the Ministry of Digital Transformation was established in 2019, it focused on creating entirely new ways for citizens to interact with their government, rather than simply transferring existing bureaucratic processes online. The result was a streamlined, intuitive system where citizens could perform tasks like registering a business or accessing critical documents without the inefficiencies of traditional approaches. This willingness to redesign, rather than retrofit, has been a game-changer.

Another vital insight is the role of ecosystem thinking in building digital public infrastructure. The Diia platform is more than a single app — it’s a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates tools for education, business, IT innovation, and public service delivery. Each component, from Diia.Business, which supports entrepreneurs, to Diia.City, a legal and tax framework for IT companies, contributes to a cohesive vision of a digital-first state. This approach ensures that digital tools aren’t siloed but work together to improve citizens’ lives comprehensively.

Ukraine’s journey also highlights the importance of addressing cultural shifts alongside technological ones. The success of Diia isn’t just about its functionality but how it has redefined the relationship between the government and its people. Citizens now view their government as a service provider focused on accessibility, transparency, and ease of use. This cultural shift has been crucial in fostering trust and driving adoption.

The experience during the full-scale russian invasion demonstrates adaptability’s critical role in military invasion. Ukraine’s ability to launch new wartime services in days, such as IDP status, eRecovery, Diia TV and Diia Radio, eEnemy, showcases the importance of building systems that respond quickly to emergent needs. These services weren’t just reactive—they empowered citizens to actively participate in national resilience by reporting enemy movements or supporting defense efforts through military bonds.

Another lesson lies in the global impact of open-source innovation. By making the Diia platform’s code available to other nations, Ukraine has shared its technology and vision for modern governance. This approach demonstrates how collaboration can extend the benefits of digital transformation beyond borders, creating a ripple effect of innovation.

Finally, Ukraine’s experience underscores the importance of investing in education and infrastructure to ensure inclusivity. Through projects like Diia.Education, millions have gained the skills needed to engage with digital services, and digital hubs have provided access to those in underserved areas. This emphasis on inclusivity ensures that digital transformation reaches all citizens, not just the digitally fluent or urban populations.

In essence, Ukraine’s digital transformation is not just a technological success—it’s a human one. By combining innovation, resilience, and a commitment to serving citizens, Ukraine has created a model for governments worldwide to follow. It reminds us that groundbreaking digital public infrastructure is more than tools and systems; it empowers people and builds trust through thoughtful, inclusive design.

Conclusion

Valeriya Ionan’s reflections underscore that digital transformation is not just about technology — it is about creating systems that prioritize inclusivity, resilience, and citizen empowerment. The Diia ecosystem exemplifies how holistic approaches, combining public services, education, and business support, can redefine governance and build trust between governments and citizens. The MDT’s vision is clear – to build the most convenient digital state in the world for citizens and the tech business.

Ukraine’s journey demonstrates the power of innovation, adaptability, and collaboration, offering valuable lessons for nations seeking to enhance their governance through digital public infrastructure. At GovStack, we share this vision, enabling scalable and interoperable solutions that empower societies and transform lives.