Why is IT engineering strong in Ukraine? – GlobalLogic

The IT industry accounts for the largest share of Ukraine’s service exports. Ukrainian engineers work with global brands in the fields of medicine, automotive, media, telecommunications, semiconductors, and more. On Ukraine’s Independence Day, GlobalLogic asks scientists, educators, and IT professionals: how did Ukraine develop such strong IT engineering capabilities?

Ukrainian IT engineering has been consistently occupying a leading position in the global market for over two decades, forming a unique combination of deep technical knowledge, flexibility, and innovation. Leaders in education and industry explain why Ukraine has produced a generation of engineers capable of competing at the global level.

Historical foundation

“Ukraine has a strong engineering tradition: from the first helicopters, computers, and the largest aircraft in the world to modern IT products. Even during the imperial and Soviet periods, aviation, rocket, and radio-electronic schools were established here, and strong training in mathematics and physics created intellectual capital for the future. After the 1990s, Ukrainian engineers quickly integrated into the global market — first as outsourcers, and later as creators of their own products. Today, the IT community not only preserves this legacy but also makes it part of the country’s defense,” said Anton Lyagusha, Academic Director of the Master’s Program in Memory Studies and Public History at the Kyiv School of Economics.

Strong academic roots

The strong math and engineering school that was set up during the 20th century became the foundation for the modern IT sector.

“First of all, this happened thanks to a strong mathematical and engineering school and the presence of universities where technical education was a priority. Today, modern factors have been added to this — the demand for IT specialists, access to the global market, and an active tech community that promotes knowledge sharing and mentoring,” said Natalia Shakhovska, rector of Lviv Polytechnic National University.

Educational tradition and problem-solving culture

Historically, the network of physics and mathematics schools, olympiads, and scientific centers has nurtured generations with developed algorithmic thinking.

“The Lviv mathematical school, physics and mathematics lyceums, and Soviet defense industries raised the bar for engineering culture. Ukrainians have always been able to find optimal solutions in conditions of limited resources, which helped IT companies quickly integrate into the global market in the 1990s. Today, technical training is combined with creativity and entrepreneurial thinking,” says Yaroslav Prytula, first vice rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

Resilience to challenges

Ukrainian engineers have developed in a country that has endured economic crises, revolutions, and war, while maintaining high quality work.

“The IT industry has grown from almost zero in the early 2000s to 5% of GDP in 2022. Even during the war, more than 300,000 specialists continued to implement projects without disruption”, says Andrii Yavorsky, SVP, Head of Strategy and Operations, Europe, GlobalLogic.

A combination of knowledge and flexibility

Today, the Ukrainian IT community combines academic depth with flexible thinking, rapid adaptation, and openness to new ideas.

“Ukrainian IT specialists have grown up in an environment of uncertainty, which has taught them to adapt and find the perfect solution without perfect resources. They combine deep knowledge with flexibility, creativity, and openness,” says Anna Shcherbakova, Head of Operations, GlobalLogic Ukraine.

Facts and achievements

• More than 200,000 schoolchildren participate in the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine every year, particularly with projects in mathematics and computer science.
• Ukraine ranks among the top 15 countries in the world in terms of total medals won at the International Mathematical Olympiad.
• 90% of Ukrainian IT specialists work with foreign clients, maintaining and developing local hubs.

Ukrainian IT engineering is a combination of long-standing academic tradition, resilience to challenges, and global openness. This is what allows engineers from Ukraine to create innovative solutions that influence the global technology industry.