The Ministry of Digital Transformation and Cisco have signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of innovation and digitalisation. The document was signed by Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and Chris Reeves, Vice President of Country Digitalisation at Cisco, in the presence of Valeria Ionan, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for European Integration, and Guy Diedrich, Senior Vice President and Global Innovation Officer for Cisco Systems.

Ukraine will join the Cisco Country Digital Acceleration programme. Together we will work on educational projects, including the development of the Diia.Osvita platform, as well as digital initiatives in the field of cyber defence.

Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) is a programme that aims to accelerate digitalisation and promote job creation, GDP growth, and the active use of innovation in both the public and private sectors. The CDA programme operates in almost 50 countries, and now Ukraine is among the countries on the list.

"Another global company supports Ukraine. Cooperation with Cisco provides new opportunities for innovation, particularly in the education sector. It is now important to pay attention to human capital development as countries compete for talent and specialists. The memorandum with Cisco is an investment in our future and a signal to the rest of the world to work with Ukraine. Together, we will implement technological tools and innovative solutions in educational projects, share experience in digitalisation, and use the content and best practices of one of the top companies," said Mykhailo Fedorov.

The memorandum with Cisco provides for cooperation on the following projects:

• "Diia.Osvita NetAcad and Cisco Talent bridge. Cisco will provide content for IT educational series on Diia.Osvita using courses from the Cisco Networking Academy Programme.
• The company will also share with Diia.Osvita the Cisco Talent Bridge Matching Engine, which makes it easier for hiring managers to find candidates in 190 countries. It helps students find and apply for jobs that match their skill level.
• "Digital Schools. Cisco will provide 1600 routers with Wi-Fi access points and 1,000 webcams to connect schools to the Internet.
• "Education for CDTOs - Digitality. CDTOs will be able to visit Cisco offices and centres in different countries to share experiences, learn about the latest technologies and trends in digitalisation. As part of this project, Cisco, together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, will identify additional joint digitisation and cybersecurity initiatives that will be important for CDTOs.

"Ukraine has become one of 48 countries in the world to participate in the Cisco Country Digital Acceleration programme. The CDA programme is a significant support and investment in the future of Ukraine - the innovation sector, education, and digital transformation. This partnership is another important step towards our main goal - the most convenient digital state in the world," said Valeria Ionan.

"Cisco is proud to offer its support to the people of Ukraine in this time of extreme hardship and escalating conflict. In partnership with the Ukrainian government, we are launching the Country Digital Acceleration programme to help protect critical infrastructure, promote ubiquitous internet connectivity, and offer cybersecurity and networking training through the Cisco Networking Academy. We remain unwavering in our commitment to keep Ukraine safe and secure and pledge to continue to support Ukraine on its path to recovery," said Guy Diedrich.

In addition, we will work with the company to develop and implement Ukraine's innovation strategy.