Conflicts & War

Ukraine’s IT sector, a shining light amid darkness of war

Lviv (Ukraine), Jul 7 (EFE).- Ukraine’s IT sector has become a beacon of light in an economy plunged into darkness by Russia’s invasion. When president Vladimir Putin ordered his forces into Ukraine, companies such as Blackthorn Vision quickly adapted to the new reality.

Blackthorn Vision has managed to stay operational throughout the war, largely because some 93% of its team members are based in western regions of the country.

Employees living in the east, meanwhile, were relocated to cities such as Lviv and Khmelnytskyi, where they were provided with financial assistance.

The company’s founder and CEO, Mykhaylo Terentyak, attributes its success to a high degree of unity within the team: “Everyone makes important contributions in their place. We come as a united IT front — proving that we are strong and reliable.”

That reliability is just one facet of the nationwide resilience and resistance that Ukrainians have displayed since their country came under attack.

And while business confidence has taken a hit due to the war and the increased risk perceived by both local and foreign investors, since all of Blackthorn Vision’s projects use cloud infrastructure hosted on more secure servers in western Europe and the United States, the company has been able to keep its services afloat and its customers satisfied.

However, some of Blackthorn Vision’s employees decided to put their IT work on hold in order to join the fight against Russia.

“Some of our employees have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Territorial Defense Forces. The company guarantees employment retention for every defender,” Terentyak tells Efe.

“As for employees who stay in the rear, they joined Ukrainian Cyber Forces to carry out attacks on aggressor sites and networks.”

BUCKING THE TREND

In 2021, Ukraine’s IT sector was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lackluster economy and since the invasion in late February, the industry has not only survived — it has thrived.

According to data from the National Bank of Ukraine, IT exports generated a record $2 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2022, despite the war, general mobilization, and forced relocation of workforces. It marked a 28% increase in export volume from the $1.44 billion registered in the same period last year.

Ukraine’s IT industry consolidated and quickly reoriented itself following the invasion thanks to anti-crisis business plans.

The figures speak for themselves: as of March 2022, Ukraine’s IT sector had retained 96% of the export volume of computer services compared to the same period last year, showing that the sector remains financially stable, providing regular currency inflows to Ukraine’s economy and state budget, and paying taxes upfront.

Most companies retained their customers and contract volumes, while sectoral surveys show that 79% of IT firms have attracted new clients during the war.

More than half of respondents (56%) expect an increase in revenues of between 5% and 30% this year.

The industry’s strength and resilience means it has led the way in supporting the Ukrainian army. During the first week of the war, local IT companies donated over $185 million, a figure that does not include individual donations from employees, which often reach $2,000-3,000 per person.

A SILVER LINING

While Ukraine’s IT sector proves itself a resilient outlier in the economy, its success is set to a wider backdrop of desolation.

Russia’s invasion has not only killed and maimed thousands of Ukrainians, and displaced millions, it has also ravaged the country’s infrastructure and created a volatile business environment with potential long-term instability.

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