For the fourth year, Ukraine has been waging a full-scale war against Russian aggression. The enemy relentlessly throws manpower and equipment into battle, attempting to push deeper into our land. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are heroically holding the line, defending the country, and launching counterattacks.
No one knows how long this exhausting war will last. But one thing is certain: Ukraine will achieve a just peace and will emerge stronger than before. And already today, there are people and institutions in the country who not only believe in this — they are working toward that future without wasting a single day.
One such institution is the Ukrainian Peace Council. Recently, its Presidium adopted a new Action Program for the Transition to Peace and Post-War Recovery. What formed the foundation of this program? What does Ukraine’s future after the war look like? The journal Svit asked these questions to the head of the Ukrainian Peace Council, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Mykhailo Zgurovsky.
– “We are living in a time when not only borders, but meanings are changing,” said Mykhailo Zgurovsky. “Ukraine must emerge from this war not only as a country that defended its freedom but also as a nation that drew deep lessons from this tragedy.
The Action Program of the Ukrainian Peace Council is a moral and intellectual roadmap for the future. It encompasses strategic directions — from humanitarian renewal to building an innovative economy, from strengthening science to a new quality of international diplomacy.
At the heart of the program is the human being — the citizen, scholar, and creator who rebuilds not only infrastructure, but also the spiritual and value foundations of the nation. It is vital that every Ukrainian feels part of this process — a co-creator of the new Ukraine.
– What do you mean by humanitarian transformation?
– Above all, it is about rethinking national identity, understanding our role in the democratic world, and renewing the systems of education, public service, healthcare, culture, and science. It is a deep reassessment of values and the formation of a new social contract, in which dignity, trust, and responsibility are not declarations but real social practices.
We are already working on the National Framework for Soft Competencies, which will integrate humanitarian principles into technical and economic training. It is also about developing social technologies — mediation, facilitation, public ethics — as tools for healing and restoring trust.
Special attention is being paid to war-torn communities: there are over 700 localities that need to recover not only infrastructure, but also human connections, trust, and cooperation. This is about the true regeneration of social capital through a new synergy of coexistence.
— Who should be involved in the development of such programs? Do we have sufficient competencies for such a serious endeavor?
– Yes, we do. We propose launching a large-scale open-source civic project that would involve a broad and active community: local communities, schools, universities, research institutions, digital volunteers, Ukrainians abroad, and others. This collective effort would enable us to reflect on the trauma of war, develop new humanitarian practices and transformation programs, and rebuild trust between people.
The idea is to create a living platform for joint action, which brings together humanitarian content (values, culture, education, ethics) and modern digital tools. Open source ensures transparency, flexibility, and broad engagement. Anyone interested can contribute to shaping new ideas and solutions that reflect the views of as many members of society as possible. The formula is simple: demand + ethics + technology + collaboration.
Ukraine already has the digital infrastructure to support this vision — including platforms like Diia, eHealth (for healthcare), the All-Ukrainian Online School (for education), among others. These resources can be integrated via open APIs, enabling direct participation in the co-creation of humanitarian transformation programs.
This represents a new bottom-up development model, one that begins with citizens and reaches toward the state. In this way, humanitarian transformation can be realized — as one of the key pillars of Ukraine’s post-war recovery.
— In your view, what can Ukraine offer the world? What is its strategic advantage in the future?
– We possess a unique combination: a powerful historical experience, deep culture, technological capabilities, and strong human capital. Even in the dramatic and difficult year of 2024, Ukraine’s IT services exports exceeded $7.5 billion USD.
Ukrainian engineers and researchers are already contributing to next-generation defense technologies — including autonomous drones, computer vision systems, electronic warfare tools, neural network algorithms for situational awareness, and hybrid early-warning systems. We are trusted partners in international projects on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, bioengineering, quantum communications, and critical materials.
Ukraine ranks among the top 30 countries globally in agri-tech startups, offering not just products but new models for digital sustainable agriculture. There is growing international interest in Ukrainian space expertise — particularly in propulsion systems, instrumentation, and satellite monitoring, opening new opportunities for cooperation with the U.S., Canada, France, and South Korea.
But our true strategic advantage lies not only in technology — it lies in our humanitarian strength. Ukraine can offer the world not only innovations, but also meaning. We have preserved dignity, solidarity, humanity, and the power of mutual support. This is our “intangible innovation” — just as valuable as any technological breakthrough. We can offer the world a new ethics of decision-making, one that has been forged in the crucible of war, yet has not turned to hatred.
Our experience is a school of survival and growth under extreme instability. We build startups in bomb shelters, launch digital services under fire, and develop scientific collaborations despite destroyed infrastructure. This is the technology of the future — where resilience is inseparable from innovation, and culture and values form the foundation of modernization.
This is Ukraine’s mission in a world that increasingly needs not only technology, but new humanitarian coordinates.
— How can science contribute to post-war recovery?
— Ukraine’s recovery is not merely about rebuilding destroyed infrastructure. It is a much deeper process — restoring the integrity of society, the competitiveness of the economy, trust in the state, and the formation of new shared meanings. In this complex mission, science must play a central role — not just as a source of technologies, but as a producer of strategic knowledge that is both adapted to Ukraine’s realities and relevant on the global stage.
Ukraine cannot compete with global tech giants or developed countries in R&D spending. For instance, in 2024, Israel invested over 6% of its GDP in science, while Ukraine invested less than 0.3%. But we can — and must — compete through originality of ideas, depth of thinking, speed of implementation, and interdisciplinary cooperation.
The key to breakthroughs lies in combining fundamental science with applied innovation. Mathematical models, physical principles, philosophical concepts, and social theories must go beyond academic institutions and become the foundation for new technologies — in artificial intelligence, defense, ecology, bioengineering, mental health, and public governance.
Ukrainian researchers are already producing competitive results: in just 2023–2024, over 40 innovations for the defense and security sector were proposed, including AI-integrated unmanned systems and neural network models for injury diagnostics and rehabilitation.
This requires transforming the scientific system: developing open research platforms, technology transfer mechanisms, and flexible interinstitutional action centers. The science of the future is not just about “research for publication” — it is about “research for impact”, where theoretical depth is matched by practical effectiveness.
It is equally important that science fulfills a humanitarian mission — to comprehend trauma, rethink identity, and shape a new public ethics. In 2023–2024, over 10 research programs were launched in the areas of psychological support, social cohesion, and intercultural dialogue.
Thus, in post-war Ukraine, science is not a peripheral sector — it is a strategic resource for national renewal. It is an infrastructure of ideas that can compete not by funding volume, but by the depth of content, organizational flexibility, and speed of turning concepts into action. This is where Ukraine’s real opportunity lies.
— In your opinion, what role will artificial intelligence play in rebuilding the country?
— Artificial intelligence is not just a tool — it is a new paradigm of action that can transform every domain of life, from medical diagnostics to political risk analysis. Already today, Ukrainian AI solutions are being effectively used in defense (e.g., drone navigation in electronic warfare environments), healthcare (automated MRI analysis), environmental protection (wildfire modeling), and education (adaptive learning platforms), among others.
In this context, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine should become the leading scientific and strategic center for AI development — both in fundamental research and applied innovation. Special attention must be given to AI’s applications in defense, post-war recovery, digital transformation, the innovation economy, science, and education.
The Academy is well-positioned to provide leadership in shaping a national AI ecosystem — acting as a source of deep knowledge, a coordinator of cross-sector cooperation, a generator of strategic vision, and a guarantor of ethical and sovereign development of this domain.
We propose creating a National Simulation Solutions Platform — a computational environment based at the Institute of Cybernetics and other academic institutions. This platform would enable scenario modeling for urban ecosystem restoration, energy management, secure environments, and socioeconomic risk forecasting.
Thus, artificial intelligence can become a key catalyst for Ukraine’s recovery — accelerating transformations, increasing system resilience, and shaping a new development model based on knowledge, innovation, and human potential.
— So, is Ukraine’s main path to become a high-tech nation?
— Ukraine has no chance of surviving as a low-tech, raw-materials-based country in a hostile neighborhood. Even now, despite the war, technology clusters are growing by 15–20% annually. We have a vast pool of engineering talent capable of working on global challenges. But that alone is not enough. What we need is a systemic strategy: from fiscal incentives to long-term public investment in science. We need a dedicated technopolicy — such as a national AI development strategy, and an action plan for open science. Our task is to integrate technology, knowledge, and trust — this will become the foundation of a new social contract.
— Is Ukrainian youth ready to ride this wave of innovation?
— It is young people who will determine whether Ukraine moves toward the future — or remains stuck in the past. Ukrainian youth is incredibly talented. They are our greatest national asset and capital. We simply need to create the conditions for their realization.
Even now, amid all the difficulties, Ukrainian schoolchildren are winning international Olympiads, and students are interning at NASA, MIT, ETH Zürich, and other leading institutions. Unfortunately, due to the war, only about 40% return home — but this will change.
We are already launching interinstitutional PhD programs, including in cooperation with international universities. These allow young researchers to study and work across multiple research centers. Our goal is to support at least 300 young scientists annually through grant projects in Ukraine. And most importantly — we want them to see purpose, career opportunities, teams, and success right here at home.
— Do you see Ukraine as an innovation exporter of the future?
— Absolutely. Ukraine is already exporting not only raw materials but intellectual products. As of 2024, our startup ecosystem is showing impressive growth, despite both internal and external challenges. In just one year, investment in this sector doubled, reaching $462 million. This reflects a strengthening tech ecosystem capable of producing globally competitive solutions.
Ukraine’s international visibility in the startup sector is also increasing: the country rose from 50th to 46th place in the global startup ecosystem ranking. This opens new opportunities for cooperation, access to venture capital, international accelerators, and research platforms.
It’s also worth highlighting the growth in defense-tech investment. Through the Brave1 platform and other channels, tens of millions of dollars have been invested in projects combining AI, autonomous systems, robotics, and data analytics. This shows that Ukrainian teams are able to address not only economic, but also strategic national challenges.
Thus, in 2024–2025, Ukraine’s startup ecosystem is no longer just a space for entrepreneurship — it is becoming the foundation of a new growth model, one that unites innovation, resilience, and strategic vision.
— And what is key for you in such a future?
— That Ukraine becomes not just a territory of peace, but a space of meaning, intellect, and moral strength — where honesty, competence, and humanity are not exceptions but the norm. That we stop playing catch-up and start leading. That Ukrainians who were forced to leave want to return, to live and work at home, to build the future here and raise their children here.
That the law protects the honest and enterprising, not just the powerful and influential. That Ukraine becomes a safe and rewarding place to earn, preserve, and grow capital. And that the population of the country — a true indicator of hope and trust in the future — begins to grow.
The essence of Ukraine’s future lies in combining spiritual dignity with intellectual breakthroughs, freedom with responsibility, and national identity with openness to the world.
— In summary: why should the world believe in Ukraine?
— Because Ukraine already is an example. An example of resistance, dignity, and resilience. An example of how, even in the darkest of times, bright ideas are born. Ukraine does not need to beg for sympathy — it must offer partnership, initiative, and vision. It must be compelling and equal among the best. That is its opportunity.