About Ukraine
Ukraine is the largest country entirely in Europe, with a population of around 42 million.
The semi-presidential republic has a multi-party system. Initially neutral, in 2002, the country entered the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan reflecting the new Western-oriented generation’s values and aspirations.
Ukraine’s IT industry
Once the “Breadbasket of Europe”, Ukraine has also become a major technology hub and the go-to offshore/nearshore outsourcing destination.
Apple, Google, Huawei, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Samsung, and Siemens moved some of their development and hired professionals in Ukraine.
Global corporations like ABBYY, Amazon, Ericsson, Google, Huawei, Magento, Samsung, and Siemens opened their R&D centers here.
GitLab and Grammarly are two Ukrainian unicorns worth over $1 billion.
~5,000
IT companies in Ukraine
20+
IT clusters
20%
of Fortune 500 companies have remote development teams in Ukraine
100+
R&D centers of international companies
3rd
largest export is IT services
$7.3
billion was brought in by IT services export in 2022
70%
of the market for Ukraine’s IT industry is made by the US & UK
$571M
in investments were raised by Ukrainian startups in 2021
∼285K
IT experts in 2021
619
higher institutions prepare IT specialists
~15K
IT specialists graduate annually
4th
place among the best programmers globally (Pentalog, 2022)
50th
startup ecosystem globally
57th
place on the Global Innovation Index 2022
Top reasons to hire Ukrainian developers
Ukraine has been among the top 30 countries for offshore development services for many years due to three factors: a large tech talent pool, diverse expertise, and competitive prices. However, there’s more to it than meets the eye.
A large world-class talent pool
There are over 280K IT professionals, and nearly everyone has at least one specialized higher education diploma. Many have a foreign education and/or experience working abroad.
The number of new tech talent graduating annually is expected to hit 20K soon. About 42% of the current software developers are mid-level, and 26% are at the senior level. Most have years of experience working with proven processes and using the latest industry solutions and project management tools.
85% continue their tech learning throughout their careers through courses, workshops, events, etc. Outsourcing firms thoroughly recruit and pre-vet the programmers so clients can expect the highest-quality results.
Varied and thorough tech expertise
Ukrainian software developers have expertise in all popular programming languages and frameworks and strong problem-solving skills.
The programmers score high in HackerRank and SkillValue challenges and rank 21st globally due to high technology and data science skills levels. They are up to date on innovations and attend tech conferences worldwide.
Excellent price/quality ratio
Customers get high-quality coding and products at a considerably lower price in Ukraine.
Ukrainian companies may charge between $30 and $65/hour for their software developers’ work, depending on technology and expertise level. This is nearly twice lower than their American and Western European counterparts.
Some vendors even waive their platform fee for companies contracting Ukrainian developers during wartime, which means extra savings.
Smooth communication and collaboration
Ukrainian IT experts’ attitude when working with their clients and employers is respectful and friendly. 80% have an intermediate or higher level of English proficiency.
Thanks to international projects, foreign education, or experience working abroad, most are familiar with the Western working culture and share those values, such as time management, hard work, and integrity.
As employees, they are down-to-earth, proactive, with a strong work ethic and a can-do attitude, and can work independently and on in-house and distributed teams.
Convenient time zone
Ukraine is only 1-2 hours ahead of most European countries and 6-10 hours from the US. This enables seamless cooperation and timely communication in the main office in any European country.
For the US, many Ukrainian outsourcing providers offer optimized collaboration plans and suitable work schedules. Their developers and project managers are flexible and experienced with adjusting their work processes to ensure an uninterrupted workflow for their clients.
Favorable business conditions
The country presents minimal bureaucratic hurdles. Its laws are consistent with the European legislature and it offers favorable tax policies.
Ukraine’s intellectual property laws provide copyright protection for databases and computer programs. NDAs that protect your business ideas are standard practice.
Established Ukrainian IT firms follow best security practices and comply with international regulations and industry-specific certifications like HIPAA, PCI, and ISO.
Most outsourcing companies deal with local vendors that hire software engineers as independent contractors and cooperate under service provision agreements.
By delegating paperwork and other administrative functions to trustworthy vendors, customers save significant time and tens of thousands of dollars.
Public holidays in Ukraine in 2024
This calendar should help you plan work with our team effectively.
Work during wartime
During the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine’s tech sector remains its major driving force and the primary source of the state budget while creating value internationally. Moreover, it is growing! The export revenue of IT services in 2022 grew by $406M compared to the pre-war 2021 year. The taxes and fees paid by IT businesses to the consolidated budget of Ukraine increased by 16%.
“The figure of more than $7B from the export of computer services is [...] the largest indicator in the entire history of the Ukrainian IT industry existence. And it was achieved precisely during the War.”
Nearly all tech companies have retained about 96% of their pre-existing contracts and the ability to deliver services as usual. Most are located in relatively safe areas and enjoy a stable electricity supply and Internet connection. Even at this stressful time, Ukrainian software developers have demonstrated exemplary resilience and commitment by remaining productive and meeting demands and deadlines against tall odds.Onix is a proud member of the Ukrainian IT community. We are providing uninterrupted services to our clients with a safe and productive environment for the team. We are continuing our internship program for young talent and supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine through donations. We are extremely grateful to our dedicated, long-time partners as well as our newer customers despite all of the perceived risks.Being united is vital during tough times. The international tech community can help immensely by continuing to do business in Ukraine, purchasing products and services, and hiring Ukrainian IT professionals. Receiving high value at a low price is always a great deal!
