Before the full-scale invasion, Lviv was one of the largest Ukraine’s IT hubs, alongside Kyiv and Kharkiv. Since February 24, 2022, the city has also become the relocation center for Ukrainians, particularly the IT business. According to the latest tech industry study IT Research Resilience, currently, there are 563 tech companies in Lviv and the region. 371 new companies emerged in the past 7 years: from 192 to 563.
Lviv has a large number of service IT companies. SoftServe, Intellias, ELEKS, and others were founded and have headquarters here. About 40% of the employees of Lviv IT companies relocated to Lviv from other regions. The city attracts with its comfortable living conditions, affordable prices and ancient architecture.
In 2023, 15 Ukrainian IT companies were enlisted in the IAOP Global Outsourcing 100, ranking the world’s best development, outsourcing, and consulting service providers. 7 of these companies are members of the Lviv IT Cluster. 19 companies in the TOP 50 largest IT companies ranking by DOU are members of the Lviv IT Cluster, and 29 companies have offices in Lviv.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Lviv has become a haven for internally displaced people and businesses. In the Lviv region, 245 thousand IDPs have officially registered. Lviv IT Cluster, together with its member companies, has equipped 7 IDP centers with 1200 beds, provided shelters in schools and kindergartens with Internet access so that parents can always stay in touch with their children, and opened a Mental Health Center where all those affected by the war can receive professional help.
Since February 2022, Lviv’s IT community, led by the Lviv IT Cluster, has been focusing on projects that bring Ukraine’s victory closer and strengthen security and stability in the Western region. Learn more about Victory projects.
Today Lviv is a cost-effective and relatively safe city for opening new offices and representative offices of companies. The overall economic impact of the IT industry has doubled in the last 5 years: from $734 million in 2016 to $1,4 billion in 2020. In 2021, Ukraine’s IT industry also demonstrated 38% growth. And in 2022, Ukraine’s IT industry generated a record $7.3 billion in revenues despite Russia’s regular massive strikes on our energy structure. It is almost half of all service exports – 45.5%, 7.7% more than the previous year.
In 2022, there were more than 37 thousand experienced IT professionals in the city and region. Most of them, namely 41%, have a Middle qualification level. There are 19 bachelor’s degree programs in 4 universities in Lviv, updated by the Lviv IT Cluster in cooperation with IT companies and education representatives. Within these programs, 4500 students study relevant IT areas: from Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence to HR, IT Sales, and Management.
Despite the war, the IT industry has demonstrated a high level of resilience and remains the only sector in Ukraine that continues to grow, providing the Ukrainian economy with significant foreign exchange earnings. Lviv’s IT industry turnover grew from $280 million in 2015 to $895 million in 2020. Ukraine’s IT exports in 2022 amounted to about $7.3 billion.
Today Lviv is a cost-effective and relatively safe city for opening new offices and representative offices of companies. The overall economic impact of the IT industry has doubled in the last 5 years: from $734 million in 2016 to $1,4 billion in 2020. In 2021, Ukraine’s IT industry also demonstrated 38% growth. And in 2022, Ukraine’s IT industry generated a record $7.3 billion in revenues despite Russia’s regular massive strikes on our energy structure.
The professional community in Lviv is growing partly due to a large number of educational institutions. About 4,500 IT students graduate from the city’s higher education institutions each year. Among the leading universities in Lviv for a tech degree are Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukrainian Catholic University, etc.
As part of the Lviv IT Cluster’s educational initiatives, there are 19 programs in three universities in the city: Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv Polytechnic National University, Lviv State University of Life Safety, and Lviv National Academy of Arts.
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.
On average, one IT specialist in Lviv creates three jobs. In 2015, the total number of created jobs was 53,000, and in 2020 – 74,000. In 2022, despite all the challenges, the city has managed to maintain a positive image and create a safe business climate for potential companies and investors.
Lviv IT Cluster, together with community members, has created a number of Victory projects to bring Ukraine’s victory closer, as well as to strengthen security and stability in the Western region. Among them are Sky, Vision, Armor, Second Home, a project to provide the western region of Ukraine with backup Internet access, and a Mental Health Center as part of the initiative to build the National Rehabilitation Center “Unbreakable.”
