On October 15, the GovTech workshop "Bridging Ukraine’s and German GovTech Ecosystems" took place in Berlin, organized by the global initiative GovStack. The CEO of Kitsoft in Germany, Michael Hübner, participated in a panel discussion where the differences between Ukrainian and German approaches to private sector collaboration with the government were discussed.
Image: GovTech Workshop "Bridging Ukraine’s and German GovTech Ecosystems"
The workshop gathered startups, ecosystem leaders, public sector representatives, and innovative companies from Ukraine and Germany.
Participants discussed the role of open-source technologies in the digital transformation of governments, compared Ukrainian and German approaches, shared successful solution examples, and explored development prospects through partnerships. The event served as a platform for exchanging ideas on transforming pilot GovTech solutions into scalable platforms and building bridges between the Ukrainian and German ecosystems.
During the panel discussion, Michael Hübner, along with Friederike Zelke, Partner Manager for VanillaCore GmbH and ITU Adviser, discussed the opportunities and barriers for startups' involvement in the digital transformation of the public sector in both Ukraine and Germany.
Ukrainian Experience in Digital Transformation
Michael shared that Ukrainian GovTech projects began to develop rapidly thanks to the young government team. Since 2019, decision-making has accelerated, and innovations have been implemented on a large scale. Among the successful examples of transformation is the Diia platform, which is considered one of the most innovative solutions for digital government infrastructure in the world.
"This has been made possible not only by technology but through an ecosystem approach — the collaboration of the government, the private sector, and civic initiatives,"
— noted Michael Hübner.
Image: Michael Hübner Shares the Ukrainian Experience in Digital Transformation
He highlighted how Ukraine is gradually overcoming the issue of lengthy tender cycles through transparent procurement mechanisms. Thanks to the Prozorro system — the state electronic procurement platform — companies can participate in transparent tenders, ensuring openness and equal conditions for businesses.
Moreover, Ukrainian companies, including Kitsoft, are engaging in international donor programs such as GIZ, UNDP, and UK Aid, where not only price but also the competence of the team and innovative potential are assessed. It is also crucial to invest in training teams working with tenders. This helps in preparing strong proposals, adhering to established rules and requirements, and building trust with the public sector.
He also emphasized the low-code platform Liquio by Kitsoft, which helps government agencies and companies create and manage digital services.
"Liquio is an example of how Ukrainian developers create products that are ready for scaling in other countries. We aim for our experience to become part of the European GovTech ecosystem,"
— shares Michael.
The German Approach to Business-Government Collaboration
For her part, Friederike Zelke emphasized that in Germany, startups face long tender cycles and complex requirements, which often hinder the implementation of innovations. Additionally, young teams need to collaborate with large IT providers that already have experience working with the public sector in order to effectively engage in government projects.
Image: Friederike Zelke Discusses the German Approach to Business-Government Collaboration
Despite these challenges, there are local projects in Germany that help startups successfully collaborate with the public sector. One such project is creating an open, modular cloud infrastructure for government institutions, supports the development of open-source technologies, and promotes digital independence. As a result, well-established companies are interested in helping young teams establish connections with the government, "building a bridge between bureaucracy and innovation."
The discussion highlighted two approaches to GovTech: Ukraine stands out for its speed in decision-making, dynamic startups, and open platforms, while Germany focuses on structured processes, reliable partnerships, and technological sovereignty. This combination of approaches could create an effective model for digital transformation at the European level, open to joint projects and international experience exchange.
Potential areas of collaboration include launching joint accelerators, pilot projects, harmonizing standards, and developing partnerships between the two ecosystems.
About:
The event was organised by GovStack, GGTC Kyiv and the Hertie School.
- GovStack – a global initiative that develops digital solutions for governments, enabling faster delivery of e‑services independent of specific vendors.
- GGTC Kyiv (Global Government Technology Centre) — a GovTech support centre in Ukraine that promotes startup development, training and international partnerships.
- Hertie School, Center for Digital Governance — a research centre in Berlin specialising in digital governance and innovation in the public sector.
- ITU (International Telecommunication Union) — a specialised UN agency responsible for ICT standards and development.