GovTech Meetup: How AI and Digital Reforms Transform Government. Insights from Estonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine
On June 11, Kyiv hosted the third GovTech Meetup, organized by the Global Government Technology Centre (GGTC) Kyiv — the world’s second GovTech hub. Established through the initiative of the World Economic Forum and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, GGTC Kyiv serves as a global platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange in digital governance.
The GovTech Meetup series, launched by GGTC Kyiv, fosters a collaborative space for Ukrainian and international experts to exchange insights, showcase best practices, and explore innovative approaches to digital governance and public sector transformation.
The latest edition brought together leaders of digital transformation, policymakers, and Chief Digital Transformation Officers (CDTOs) from across Ukrainian ministries, alongside public policy experts.
Opening remarks were delivered by Valeriya Ionan, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister—Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Innovations, Digitalisation, and Global Partnerships, who emphasized the importance of creating synergy to harness new technologies in building a citizen-centered, responsive government.
All the remarkable progress Ukraine has achieved in digital transformation over the course of nearly six years — from launching Diia to building an integrated, nationwide digital public infrastructure — has been possible thanks to the synergy between government, international partners, and a private sector that operates digital by default. If digital transformation was our first national leap, innovation is set to become the next one. The WINWIN Global Innovation Strategy 2030 defines Ukraine’s long-term vision as a global innovation leader — across GovTech, MedTech, EdTech, GreenTech, and more. Within this framework, AI is one of the strategic priorities. From a Ukrainian LLM to AI integration across key sectors — our ambition is clear: to place Ukraine among the world’s top three countries in AI implementation by 2030
Valeriya Ionan
Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Innovations, Digitalisation and Global Partnerships.
Keynote speakers included Luukas Ilves, Advisor to the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on AI and former Government CIO of Estonia, and Mark Boris Andrijanič, former Minister for Digital Transformation of the Republic of Slovenia and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.
In his presentation “The Agentic State”, Luukas Ilves presented the newly released report “The Agentic State: How Agentic AI Will Revamp 10 Functional Layers of Government and Public Administration.” This whitepaper provides strategic insights into the evolving role of agentic AI in government, with practical takeaways for enhancing Ukraine’s digital governance model.
The capabilities of AI and new tech are growing exponentially. AI agents in particular will transform how organizations do work. In the vision paper “The Agentic State”, developed jointly with the GGTC Berlin, we outline a blueprint for re-imagining public administration, from service design to procurement and the government tech stack. While this paper is written from a global perspective, my personal hope and belief is that Ukraine will be at the forefront of building the government of the future
Luukas Ilves
Advisor to the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on AI and former Government CIO of Estonia
Mark Boris Andrijanič shared practical insights from Slovenia’s digital transformation journey, with a particular focus on the strategic use of predictive AI, how governments can learn from business in leveraging this technology to public benefit, and the country’s leadership in advancing next-generation AI solutions.
The courage to embrace emerging technologies today will define a nation’s future tomorrow. AI presents a generational opportunity for countries like Slovenia and Ukraine to close the gap with Western Europe. That’s why we must accelerate its deployment across both the private and public sectors. Slovenia has excelled in AI research and its integration across key industries, while Ukraine has pioneered its use in government and defence. Our experiences show that AI isn’t just hype—it’s a powerful tool for modernizing our economies, strengthening national security, and improving public services.
Mark Boris Andrijanič
Minister for Digital Transformation of the Republic of Slovenia
As AI and emerging technologies reshape governance, we at GGTC Kyiv see them not just as tech tools but as powerful forces for collaboration, learning, and scaling effective solutions. Our mission is to position Ukraine as a global leader in public-sector innovation — where international dialogue translates into real, impactful change for society
Zoya Lytvyn
Head of GGTC Kyiv