On 30 November, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Apple Inc. and Apple Ukraine LLC concluded a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement was clinched in the Office of Ukraine’s President in the presence of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
I am proud that 🇺🇦 will be the second country in the world to conduct a census in collaboration with @Apple. An important Memorandum of Understanding was signed today between @mintsyfra and this technological giant. Digitization is an unconditional priority for our state. pic.twitter.com/47jSFiRLe9
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 30, 2021
Under the Memorandum, Apple will work together with Ukraine’s ministry in carrying out the national census in 2023. Ukraine will be the second country after the US launch a census in collaboration with the tech giant.
Apart from that, Apple will support the ministry in defining and elaborating key projects on the way to paperless state services. In particular, the company will advise on advancing the Diia app based on iOS, the operating system for Apple mobile devices.
Some other ways Apple will help the Ukrainian authorities is by raising the digital literacy levels among citizens by, for instance, fostering the professional development of educators who use the iOS platform. Moreover, Ukraine-Apple cooperation will pave the way for introducing digital technologies to healthcare.
“For us, one of the main priorities is to digitize all public services, the work of public authorities,” said the President of Ukraine Zelenskyy, recalling the rapid development of ties between Ukraine and Apple following a meeting with the company’s senior leadership in September in Cupertino.
Mark Lennon, Worldwide Head of Government at Apple, mentioned that for his 23-year experience of work with governments, he is impressed by Ukraine’s progressiveness. He also noted that for Ukraine, “technology is a matter of national security.”
Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation, commented:
“The signing of the Memorandum with Apple is an important step not only for digitization in Ukraine, but also for the recognition of our achievements in this field around the world. We are grateful to Apple for constant cooperation with our ministry and the opportunity to implement the world’s best solutions to achieve our most important goal – turning the state into a convenient and efficient service that you want to trust.”
The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation is likely to bring Ukraine a step closer to becoming a more user(people)-friendly state.