Lviv

City of possibilities and perspectives

About Lviv

Lviv today is not only a city with magnificent architecture and historical heritage, which boasts a vast number of tourists and various cultural events, it is also one of the three largest Ukrainian IT hubs alongside Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Currently, Lviv’s tech sector is represented by 416 companies, according to the latest IT Research 4.0. In comparison with 2015, the number of companies in Lviv increased by 85%.

Lviv entered the top 10 for cost-effectiveness investment in the Financial Times 2019 investment ranking. Also, in 2019, 4 IT companies with main offices in Lviv were ranked among the 100 best outsourcing companies in the world by AIOP (The Best of The Global Outsourcing). In 2019, Lviv made it on the list of startup hubs StartupBlink.

The advantages of the city on the international IT market

Economic attractiveness

As an attractive investment destination, Lviv IT market is economically feasible for starting a tech business. The city boasts its qualified human capital and offers many opportunities for potential companies due to the high-quality services, which make the city one of the most competitive European tech hubs.

Highly-qualified human capital

The city has seven universities that prepare more than four thousand talented graduates with tech majors every year. Academies and IT companies’ schools support the students and others who wish to learn a profession in tech. Besides, professional schools and courses provide people with an opportunity to retrain for future employment.

Geographic proximity to European countries

Due to its historical past and location, Lviv has embraced European culture and mentality. More than one-third of Lviv IT specialists know a second European language apart from English. Since the city is located in the very heart of Europe, it is a convenient outsourcing destination: a flight from Lviv to major business centers in Europe takes approximately three hours. Therefore, one-third of Lviv IT-companies’ clients are Europeans, and half of them are Americans.

Positive dynamics

Over the past five years, IT market in Lviv has increased threefold. 90% of IT companies’ CEOs consider Lviv a favourable place for business, and more than 83% of them plan to continue investing in it. Many local companies open branch offices abroad, the export market is growing, and a large number of Ukrainian IT specialists are moving to Lviv from other cities. Also, Lviv hosts large-scale tech events.

Location

Lviv is located in the very heart of Eastern Europe at the crossroads of important highways and railways. The cultural capital of Ukraine can be easily accessible from any major European city.

Over the past few years, the infrastructure in Lviv has been upgraded. Both flight and railway networks have been expanded. Currently, you can reach Lviv basically from any other place in the world. Some of the airline companies operating in Lviv include WizzAir, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, LOT, Belavia, and SkyUP. It is also possible to travel by train from Poland, Belarus, Slovakia, Austria, and Bulgaria. International bus operators such as LeoExpress and FlixBus offer a regular bus connection to Lviv as well.

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ІТ environment

IT specialists

According to Lviv IT Cluster’s IT Research 4.0, more than 25.000 employees are working in the IT sector now, and their number is growing annually.

In comparison with 2015, in 2019:

the number of IT specialists in Lviv increased by 85%
an average IT specialist salary increased by 21%
the average income of an IT specialist in Lviv is $ 1.866

Professional community

The professional community in Lviv is growing partly due to the large number of educational institutions. Each year, 5.000 IT students graduate from higher education institutions. Among the leading universities in Lviv, which offe tech degrees are Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukrainian Catholic University etc. Students generally choose the following degrees:

Computer Science and Information Technology
Computer Engineering
Applied Mathematics and Informatics
Electronics and computer technology

Within the frames of Lviv IT Cluster’s educational projects, there are 14 programmes in three universities of the city: Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv Polytechnic National University, and Lviv State University of Life Safety. In 2019, Lviv IT Cluster’s educational programmes received a record number of applicants – over 8.000.

Development rates

The dynamic development of the IT environment makes Lviv an attractive center for investment, work, and study. No wonder international companies with a world name trust local experts, which certainly has a positive economic effect on the city.

IT industry’s share in the economy of Lviv accounts for more than 21%. The industry’s annual turnover equals to approximately $ 658-718 million and is steadily growing. The number of jobs created by the IT industry is also impressive. In 2018, the figure amounted to 63k, and in 2019 – 71k. The city has created a positive image and developed a favourable business climate for potential companies and investors.

According to IT Research, the predicted annual growth of the IT sphere has been 20%, and the size of the IT market has tripled in five years. Experts predict further growth of the business environment in Lviv and an accelerated pace of the IT sphere development.

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Stepan Veselovskyi

CEO, Lviv IT Cluster

If you have any questions or suggestions, or you want to join the project, feel free to contact us.