The 2026 IFIP Board meeting took place this month in Vienna, Austria, hosted by the Austrian Computer Society (OCG) from 16–17 April.
Each year, IFIP convenes its Board, bringing together members from across the globe, with hosting rotating among national computer societies. This year’s meeting spanned two days, including a dedicated symposium on “The Role of Digital Services in Ukraine’s Reconstruction.” The event was held in a hybrid format, with participants joining both in person and online.
Jointly organised by OCG and IFIP, the symposium brought together perspectives from Ukraine and across the European Union, spanning government, academia, industry and civil society. At its core was a pressing question: how can digital services accelerate reconstruction while ensuring transparency, resilience and long-term sustainability?
Key speakers included IFIP President Kai Ranneberg, OCG General Secretary Ronald Bieber, President of the Ukrainian-Austrian Association Alfred F. Praus, Advisor at the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria Volodymyr Koval, and IFIP General Secretary Anatolii Marushchak.
Several key themes emerged:
- Digital infrastructure as a foundation for recovery;
- Ukraine’s experience demonstrating that robust digital systems are not a luxury, but essential for continuity during crisis and for rebuilding afterwards;
- The evolution from eGovernment to smart, resilient systems;
- Ukraine’s significant progress in digital governance and the remaining gap with EU frameworks, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity and regulatory alignment;
- Innovation under pressure – Ukrainian experts illustrated how wartime conditions have accelerated digital innovation, offering lessons in resilience that extend far beyond Ukraine; and
- EU integration as a guiding framework – alignment with EU regulations, including cybersecurity standards and the Digital Services Act, is shaping Ukraine’s digital reconstruction and reinforcing its long-term strategic direction.
What made the symposium particularly impactful was its emphasis on practical, actionable strategies, moving beyond discussion towards implementation. It underscored the importance of international collaboration in supporting Ukraine’s digital future. The focus on the intersection of technology, policy and societal needs – central to IFIP’s work – was especially evident.
Further details about the event are available here:
https://www.ocg.at/en/events/symposium-role-digital-services-ukraines-reconstruction
Other key developments from the 2026 Board meeting included the renewed approval of IFIP’s Strategic Objectives through 2029. Core elements of IFIP’s mission include:
- Promoting open and excellent science in information processing, independent of business or government influence.
- Communicating and disseminating knowledge in information processing.
- Advancing professionalism, excellence, digital equity, ethics and inclusion in ICT governance and application.
- Serving as a leading, independent and influential voice in ICT, providing expert knowledge.
- Enhancing the value of membership.
The full Strategic Objectives, along with detailed implementation plans, can be found on the IFIP website: https://www.ifip.org/about-ifip/
The entirety of the IFIP’s Strategic Objectives and detailed points about achieving them can be found at ifip.org on the “About IFIP” page: https://www.ifip.org/about-ifip/
