Ukraine announces its ambitious Win 2030 plan in a move to become the forefront of high-tech industries

Ukraine has unveiled its ambitious Win 2030 plan, signaling its intent to establish a domestic chipmaking industry and enhance artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Proposed amid a 21-month conflict with Russia, the plan was presented by Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Deputy Valeria Ionan at a central Kyiv event attended by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The significance of technological advancement for achieving victory in the conflict was emphasized, with Prime Minister Shmyhal stating, “Without innovation, I am deeply convinced our victory is possible, but will take much longer.”

Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov, who is also an ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, pledged policy changes to support tech growth. He highlighted over 20 amended laws simplifying drone imports and manufacturing as part of regulatory improvements. Ukraine has already incorporated AI in military operations, using it for kamikaze drones and facial recognition of Russian soldiers.

Deputy Valeria Ionan outlined Ukraine’s aspirations to rank among the top 15 countries globally in microelectronics and the top 30 in unmanned vehicles. She expressed confidence in Ukraine’s ability to contribute to the European Union’s goal of securing 20% of the global market share in semiconductors by 2030.

The most ambitious aspect of the plan involves Ukraine’s desire to establish a chip factory and “fabless” enterprises that don’t manufacture their own semiconductors. The estimated cost of a facility capable of producing 50,000 chips annually is between $5-10 billion, with a projected start date in 2025 and a three-year timeline to reach manufacturing capacity. Acknowledging financial challenges, Fedorov mentioned that government funds were limited.

Fedorov revealed that the ministry would provide non-monetary support initially and seek private capital for these ventures. While he acknowledged the necessity of state assistance for a chip factory, he emphasized the importance of private initiative in addition to state support.