techUK members support for Ukraine
techUK and our sister organisation IT Ukraine Association, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Plexal Stratford outlining how our two organisations will assist each other, including collaboration under the umbrella of the recently announced UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge.
Tech support for Ukraine since the beginning of the war
techUK members have assisted Ukraine in: maintaining and repairing critical infrastructure, supporting the education system through video sharing licensing, providing cloud-based solutions for healthcare services, setting up contact centres for Ukrainian refugees, as well as cooperation on healthtech, fintech, energy tech, and drones. techUK and our members are dedicated to assisting Ukraine's tech sector in returning to its pre-war levels, thereby playing a crucial role in the country's overall reconstruction and recovery efforts. Any members of IT Ukraine are able to apply for a free two years of techUK membership. If companies are interested, they should reach out to [email protected]
Defence and critical infrastructure
For example, techUK member Dataminr has given software to Ukraine on a trial, and then a commercial basis. Their software has use cases which include cybersecurity threat intelligence, and situational awareness for crisis and emergency management. Another techUK member, Improbable Defence has been working commercially in Ukraine through the UK Ministry of Defence. Leonardo has assisted Ukraine on a pro-bono and commercial basis, and Fortinet and Cisco have both contributed by offering significant cybersecurity support.
Public services
Zoom has been providing free access to its platform for all schools and colleges in Ukraine, while NEC Software has supported the police and security agencies with software assistance.
Software-enabled support
Platform service provider ServiceNow has helped set-up a regional contact centre for Ukrainian refugees, where they can access the support services for free. Ukrainian software company ELEKS has been assisting in fintech, cybersecurity, healthtech, energy systems, and drones. Software company Cisco has donated $8m in cash and $6.5m in products, and has worked with humanitarian organizations to ensure they stay connected and cyber-secure while operating in Ukraine.
Services Accreditation and Skills
The UK Service Accreditation body UKAS has offered the National Accreditation Agency of Ukraine (NAAU) training for their service accreditation assessors and guidance and support on operational issues. The Service Accreditation provider has also offered to help with the digitisation of NAAU.
On skills, techUK members IBM, Cisco and Accenture have all played a key role. IBM is providing free online tech education to Ukrainians through IBM Skills Build, Cisco are using their Country Digital Acceleration Programme in neighbouring countries to support Ukrainian refugees accessing medical support and digital skills training. Accenture has partnered with The Adecco Group to assist Ukrainians looking for a new career, which has included provision of basic employment and digital skills training.
Future Commitments
In terms of future commitments, the UK tech sector is poised to continue its support for Ukraine, with many companies already making commitments. Zoom are planning to extend their current ed-tech partnership, healthcare provider Onorach are also aiming to enter new commercial agreements with hospitals in Ukraine. Defence company Improbable are already doing modelling and simulation to assess which tech solutions will be most effective in the post-war reconstruction. Leonardo are looking into augmenting the medium-term security and safety of their partners in Ukraine and Central Europe. Cybersecurity firm Fortinet are also looking into fast-tracking government interoperability and discussing how they can supply Capability Packages to Ukraine. Dataminr are also planning to further help with cybersecurity and software assistance for government organisations in Ukraine and Cisco are aiming to launch their Country Digital Acceleration programme in Ukraine, which will provide cybersecurity services, training, and digital infrastructure support. NEC Software are working with the Ukrainian Ministries of Finance and Internal Affairs on a software solutions project.
With many of our members signing the Business Compact, techUK and our members are fully committed to continue supporting Ukraine via commercial and pro-bono means as well as through the UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge.
You can access the full statement here. Members who have any questions or would like to contribute to techUK’s work on the Ukraine Recovery should reach out to [email protected].
Sabina Ciofu
Sabina Ciofu
Sabina Ciofu is Associate Director – International, running the International Policy and Trade Programme at techUK.
Based in Brussels, she leads our EU policy and engagement. She is also our lead on international trade policy, with a focus on digital trade chapter in FTAs, regulatory cooperation as well as broader engagement with the G7, G20, WTO and OECD.
As a transatlanticist at heart, Sabina is a GMF Marshall Memorial fellow and issue-lead on the EU-US Trade and Technology Council, within DigitalEurope.
Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.
Sabina loves building communities and bringing people together. She is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club and co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy. Previously, as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.
She sits on the Advisory Board of the University College London European Institute, Café Transatlantique, a network of women in transatlantic technology policy and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club designed for women.
Sabina holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- +32 473 323 280
- Website:
- www.techuk.org
Alice Campbell
Alice Campbell
As Head of Public Affairs, Alice supports techUK’s strategic engagement with Westminster, Whitehall and beyond. She regularly works to engage with ministers, members of the UK’s parliaments and senior civil servants on techUK’s work advocating for the role of technology in the UK’s economy as well as wider society.
Alice joined techUK in 2022. She has experience working at both a political monitoring company, leading on the tech, media and telecoms portfolio there, and also as an account manager in a Westminster-based public affairs agency. She has a degree from the University of Sheffield in Politics and Philosophy.
- Email:
- [email protected]
Daniel Clarke
Daniel Clarke
Dan joined techUK as a Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade in March 2023.
Before techUK, Dan worked for data and consulting company GlobalData as an analyst of tech and geopolitics. He has also worked in public affairs, political polling, and has written freelance for the New Statesman and Investment Monitor.
Dan has a degree in MSc International Public Policy from University College London, and a BA Geography degree from the University of Sussex.
Outside of work, Dan is a big fan of football, cooking, going to see live music, and reading about international affairs.
- Email:
- [email protected]