IT in War: IT Ukraine Association and Mind Present Unique Study on the Contribution of the IT Industry to the Fight Against Russian Aggression

The IT Ukraine Association, in collaboration with Mind and with the support of Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, has conducted a study on the IT industry’s contribution to the daily approach of victory over the Russian aggressor. The study was carried out with UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group as the general partner.

 

The research consolidates, for the first time, information about the role of not only individual companies but of the entire IT industry in defending the country during the past two years of war.

 

The purpose of our research is to highlight the IT industry’s contribution to the defense forces and demonstrate how this sector is helping bring victory closer. The public should understand the full spectrum of this contribution—from donations, projects, and social initiatives to technological developments, job creation, tax payments, and export revenues,

said Maria Shevchuk, Executive Director of the IT Ukraine Association, explaining the purpose of the study.

 

The study analyzes seven key areas of support: “Donations”, “Direct Aid to Defense Forces”, “Social Projects”, “Military-Related Developments and IT Products”, “Cyber Army”, “0 km” and “Support and Integration of Veterans”. Each of these areas contributes to both front-line and home-front efforts in resisting the enemy.

• “Donations” — from IT companies and employees (₴38.8 billion);
• “Targeted Assistance to the Defence Forces” — assisting in reaching the fundraising targets for needed expenses (₴8.8 billion);
•  “Social Projects” (₴2.43 billion);
• “Military Developments and IT Products to Assist the Affected” (₴5.45 billion);
• “Cyber Defence” (over 400,000 activists);
• “0 km” — mobilised IT specialists (over 10,000);
• “Support and Integration of Veterans” (₴2.8 billion).

 

Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and Minister of Digital Transformation, confirmed the importance of the IT industry for the Ukrainian economy and, in particular, the critical development of the DefenceTech sector.

 

Despite two years of full-scale war, Ukraine remains one of the key exporters of high-tech goods and services to Europe. Ukrainian IT professionals have demonstrated their ability to work under extremely challenging conditions. Despite bombings and blackouts, they complete tasks, meet deadlines, develop to the global market’s specifications and create products that are recognised worldwide. All this is a signal to investors that Ukrainian companies can and should be invested in. At the same time, the full-scale war has become an impetus for the development of the DefenceTech sector,

he said.

 

During the full-scale war, the IT industry paid 68.1 billion hryvnias in taxes, and the revenue of the entire industry is estimated at $14.86 billion, of which $13.61 billion is the volume of IT services exports and $1.25 billion is the volume of the domestic IT market. Thus, every 20 hryvnia in the country’s GDP is earned by the IT industry.

 

The collected data shows that the IT industry is not tired, but continues to actively support the Armed Forces and civilians affected by Russian aggression. IT companies have chosen partner pools of public and charitable organisations, created their own funds, and prioritised assistance in important areas. We analysed the data collected in the study in 7 areas of support. Each of these “puzzles“ helps to repel the enemy both at the front and in the rear,

said Yevhen Shpytko, Editor-in-chief of Mind.ua.

 

38.81 billion UAH – that’s the minimum amount donated by IT companies and their employees to various causes and initiatives (31.36 billion UAH from IT companies, and 7.45 billion UAH from employees). Since there are many anonymous donations or those that are difficult to count accurately, the real number is significantly higher.

 

The Ukrainian IT industry plays an important role in protecting our country during a full-scale invasion. The study shows the contribution of IT professionals to national security and, at the same time, reveals the broad impact of this industry on the sustainability of Ukraine’s economic development. I am confident that this study will be a step towards raising public awareness of the importance of the IT industry in the life of our country. As a long-standing partner of the IT Association, we always support initiatives that help raise public awareness of the country’s technology development,

said Andriy Kashperuk, Deputy Chairman of the Board for Retail Banking at UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group.

 

A separate focus of the IT industry has been on social projects. At least 2.43 billion UAH has been directed over two years of war toward addressing various acute social issues: purchasing medicines, medical equipment, and supplies; humanitarian aid; supporting the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES); rebuilding war-affected areas; blood donation; assisting children, the elderly, internally displaced persons, and animals; evacuation efforts; social support; educational projects; community development initiatives; and cultural projects and collaborations.

 

Furthermore, according to the study, 75% of the surveyed IT companies cooperate with various charities, such as UNITED24, Come Back Alive, Children of Heroes, KOLO, and others. In general, according to the survey, the IT market cooperates with at least 58 charitable foundations and organisations, including multifunctional, specialised and regional ones. Also, according to the survey, half of large IT companies have their own charitable foundations established to coordinate social initiatives and the list of recipients of assistance from market leaders includes 100+ social foundations and organisations.

 

Supporting specific units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, the Territorial Defence Forces and volunteer formations of territorial communities (DFTC), the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine has become an integral part of the work of the Ukrainian IT business during the war.  Over the past two years, the IT industry has allocated UAH 8.8 billion to meet the needs of specific units and the military. If at the beginning of the full-scale invasion this assistance resembled operational “firefighting“, over time it has become clearly structured and professional. Employees of IT companies quickly immersed themselves in the nuances of procurement and the technical characteristics of the weapons needed by the defenders. In addition to direct financial assistance, IT companies buy equipment and machinery for military units, pay salaries to their mobilised employees, volunteer, etc.

 

Over the two years of war, more than 400,000 IT professionals have joined the cyber resistance and 70% of large IT companies have employees who have enlisted in cyber forces. (CERT-UA and IT ARMY are important components of Ukraine’s cyber resilience).

 

The IT industry has been involved in solving the problems of veterans’ recovery and reintegration since 2014. Over the past two years, UAH 2.82 billion has been allocated to support veterans, and 72% of surveyed IT companies have joined various support programmes. IT companies provide assistance in three key areas: medical support, adaptation of their employees and other veterans, and free IT courses for veterans to learn a new profession.

 

The study revealed that 90% of IT companies have mobilized employees. The majority of these companies continue to hold their positions, provide military equipment, offer financial support, and maintain salary payments. Over 10,000 employees of IT companies are currently serving in Ukraine’s defense forces. The study also highlights stories of IT specialists who are defending Ukraine on the front lines.

 

The tech industry invests not only export earnings but also its own experience and expertise in the victory. Over the past two years, a total of UAH 5.45 million has been allocated to this area, and 63% of companies and individual volunteers are developing IT products for the defence sector and civilians affected by Russian aggression. The study also provides examples of projects created with the significant participation of the IT industry, such as military developments and projects in the field of land and sea drones, as well as command and control and intelligence systems for military needs, some of which are classified. De IT na WIEN presented examples of technological projects and developments that have a significant impact in other areas, including the recovery and rehabilitation of veterans.

 

The study pays great attention to the collaboration between the government and the IT industry in developing technological solutions and innovations that, without exaggeration, save lives. The government, represented by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, together with the IT industry, has helped develop assistance products within the Diia app. For instance, over 606,000 Ukrainians have used the “eEnemy” chatbot to report enemy equipment, soldiers, and collaborators to the defense forces. Another example is the Brave1 platform, which has resulted in hundreds of high-tech developments, including various types of drones, intelligence systems, communication and navigation systems, and geoinformation platforms. Ukraine’s victory relies on projects in the fields of electronic warfare (EW), ground robotic systems, and AI solutions, all of which depend on advanced IT technologies. As of now, 2,232 DefenseTech products have been registered, and approximately 1.5 billion UAH has been allocated for Brave1 grants in Ukraine’s 2024 budget, with 120 innovative developments already codified according to NATO standards.

 

A separate powerful area of cooperation is the Army of Drones, a joint project of the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Ministry of Defence, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the State Special Communications Service, and UNITED24, launched in July 2022.  In total, 250+ companies are already producing UAVs in Ukraine, 70+ UAV strike companies are working in the Armed Forces, and 96% of the project’s vehicles are Ukrainian-made drones. A total of 78 domestic UAV manufacturers have received government contracts, compared to the summer of 2022, when there were only 7.

 

There are also about 15 regional IT clusters in Ukraine, most of which have joined the support of the Defence Forces and civilians and launched their own projects.

 

The “IT  in the War” study convincingly demonstrates that the Ukrainian technology industry has become a powerful force in the country’s resistance to Russian aggression. Companies and professionals are not only investing significant funds and implementing social projects but are also using their knowledge and expertise to support defense forces, mobilized employees, and veterans. By continuing to invest in Ukraine’s victory, the IT industry shows resilience and readiness for change, moving forward toward victory along with the entire country.

 

Download IT in WAR: https://yan.ua/l/De-IT-na-VIYNI-pdf

 

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Disclaimer

In order to fully assess the contribution of the IT industry to Ukraine’s resilience in the fight against the enemy, IT Ukraine Association together with Mind conducted a questionnaire survey of the largest IT companies in Ukraine, which employ 25% of the total number of IT professionals. In total, the data from over 150 respondents were analysed: IT companies, IT clusters, specialised associations and organisations, charitable foundations, EdTech courses, government agencies, and non-governmental projects.