Helping to rebuild Ukraine’s tech sector with the UK-Ukraine TechBridge

Our position is the same as the UK government’s: Ukraine will only succeed in the long-term if planning for its recovery starts now. Recovery of the technology sector is a fundamental part of wider efforts to boost the economy and reduce the brain drain. In support of this and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office we invited our tech partners, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, to a roundtable to agree on how our collective could be used to help. There was overwhelming support from everyone to use the power of tech to rebuild Ukraine’s economy and businesses, as well as people’s lives and their communities.

The output of the roundtable was the concept of the eventual establishment of the UK-Ukraine TechBridge which was announced by the UK Prime Minister at the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference earlier this year.

This week, the TechBridge has moved forward, marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between UK Minister of State Nusrat Ghani and Ukraine Minister of Digital Transformation Alex Bornyakov, demonstrating commitment to supporting the recovery and growth of the Ukrainian tech sector and the mutual benefit it brings. The TechBridge is expected to be launched in the coming weeks.

The UK-Ukraine TechBridge is an initiative to connect UK and Ukrainian tech companies and harness opportunities for innovation and collaboration. TechBridge will link UK and Ukrainian businesses together physically and virtually for new trade prospects and to facilitate co-development of new services and technologies. The TechBridge will improve access to private and public finance through improved investment and procurement routes. It will also assist in providing opportunities for skills development for underrepresented groups.

This international initiative supports and empowers Ukrainian citizens by giving them the chance to rebuild a stable work environment amid the war and strengthen their economic resilience. They can connect and work on joint projects with tech giants and upskill others all while earning money. The TechBridge also helps build small businesses and mentors and trains Ukrainian citizens in technology by offering them access to learning and development opportunities and a mentorship programme.

Our colleagues Jonathan Pell, Maria Panayiotou, Matt Killen, and Andrea Pereira were some of the brains behind the TechBridge. They were tasked with implementing the strategy for the TechBridge, supporting determining what an ongoing, fully functioning TechBridge would look like as well as designing and delivering one of the TechBridge pillars in skills and development. Our team supported the UK and Ukrainian governments, through their officials and ambassadors, to help bring the TechBridge to life.

In an increasingly fast-paced, interconnected, and ever-changing world, collaboration and connectivity have never been so important. The scheme will run until 2025, and continue to support citizens and tech companies, providing them with opportunities to work closely with UK counterparts. This will help rebuild Ukraine’s economy and society so that they can prosper again.

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