IT is one of the few industries that remains resilient, continues to operate and pay taxes, even after two and a half years of full-scale war. Ukraine remains an important exporter of high-tech products and services to Europe, the USA and the countries of the East. Ukrainian citizens also create unique products and defense innovations, actively support the Defense Forces through donations and charity projects.
Each new development helps save lives, repel attacks or organize technological counterattacks that contribute to the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Research “Where is IT at WAR» sums up the contribution of the IT industry in two years of full-scale invasion so that society has a complete picture of the scale of support – from donations and social initiatives to jobs created, taxes paid and export revenue received. The collected data show that the IT sector has not stopped, but on the contrary, actively continues to support the Armed Forces and civilians affected by Russian aggression. Companies have formed partnerships with public and charitable organizations, created their own funds and focus on helping in key areas.
The study presents seven categories that inform the contribution of the industry: “Donate”, “Addressal assistance to the Defense Forces”, “Social projects”, “Military developments and IT products to help the victims”, “Cyberwar”, “0 km” and ” Support and integration of veterans”. Each of these areas is an important element of fighting on the front lines and in the rear. At least 10,000 IT specialists have joined the ranks of the Armed Forces, and more than 400,000 activists, most of whom are Ukrainians, have joined the cyber resistance. The contribution of the IT industry consists not only in financial support from export earnings, but also in the use of experience and knowledge. Aitians are participating in the largest technological war in the world. They realize that without new developments it would be more difficult to confront an enemy with greater resources. Technology companies have accepted this challenge, with hundreds of their innovations already helping to counter the enemy.
Like any crisis, the war brought many challenges, but at the same time opened up new opportunities: it stimulated the development of Military Tech, cyber security, deepened the digitization of the state and accelerated the globalization of Ukrainian IT companies. All this, together with the gained experience, opens up new prospects for the future of the industry.
Unfortunately, a large number of IT companies do not publicly advertise the amount of donations until the end of the war, according to their own corporate standards or for security reasons, so the aggregate figure presented in the study is only a guide to understand the total amount of support provided by the industry.
Support of specific units of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Territorial Defense Forces, voluntary formations of territorial communities (DFTG), GUR of the Ministry of Defense and the Security Service of Ukraine became an integral part of Ukrainian business activities during the war. IT companies are actively involved in meeting the needs of the front, and the main part of the industry’s financial resources is directed to this direction. If at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the aid was chaotic, reminiscent of an emergency response, but over time it became more structured and professional. Employees of IT companies quickly mastered procurement processes and technical requirements for equipment needed by defenders. In addition to financial support, IT companies purchase machinery and equipment for combat units, pay salaries to mobilized employees, and are actively involved in volunteer activities. For example, the Zone3000 company has been actively donating to the military since 2014, providing infrastructure equipment, transferring cars, drones, generators, thermal imagers, military equipment, medical supplies, construction materials, and food. It supports meetings of charitable funds and internal initiatives of its employees. Every day, the company’s specialists organize about 50 meetings through internal communication channels. And the company Epam invested more than UAH 500 million in support of the Defense Forces. UAH 128 million was provided for medicine and protective equipment. In addition, the company helps defenders with technical equipment and furnishes premises. It also implements its own projects, in particular “Hardened Hundred”, under which 80 cars were handed over to the military. Together with the Leleka Foundation and other organizations, hundreds of first-aid kits, more than 570 shoulder bags for paramedics and 15 ambulances were provided at the request of defenders. In addition, the company is implementing an educational project “IT for veterans”.
75% of surveyed IT companies cooperate with various charitable foundations. The list of partners of IT companies includes multifunctional, specialized and regional organizations and foundations. The biggest among them are UNITED24 and “Come Back Alive”. Among the leaders in terms of the volume of donations and the number of supported projects are also noted the funds created by Aitians, such as KOLO and “Children of Heroes”.
Humanitarian projects have become the second important direction of financial support for the IT industry. Almost 2.5 billion hryvnias were allocated to medical and psychological assistance, the purchase of equipment to eliminate the consequences of the explosion of the Kakhovskaya HPP, providing for the needs of children who lost their parents, humanitarian demining and other important initiatives. Thanks to our own projects and cooperation with charitable foundations, these funds were transformed into clothes and food, medical equipment, computers for schools, as well as assistance in the evacuation of people and animals. Among the actions carried out are charity auctions, thematic meetings, sports races, activities in social networks and the organization of meetings abroad for the humanitarian needs of Ukrainians. In general, IT companies implemented tens of thousands of initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of the needy during the war.
Almost every fifth large Ukrainian IT company has its own charity fund, created to coordinate targeted projects of assistance to the armed forces and the implementation of social initiatives. The main purpose of such funds is to establish and maintain direct contacts with those in need of assistance, assess their urgent needs and implement relevant requests. The range of tasks of these funds is extremely wide: from the supply of drones, military equipment, ammunition and vehicles to the front to ensuring the energy independence of civilian objects and supporting vulnerable sections of the population. Separate directions include support of medical institutions, purchase of medicines, assistance to veterans, their families and families of soldiers killed at the front. In addition, corporate foundations are engaged in the organization of professional education for demobilized military personnel. Although some IT companies conduct all their philanthropic activities through their own foundations, most also work with a variety of independent charities.
Government programs and developments became support for the army and society. Dozens of services were created to help the civilian population, in particular, for the restoration of damaged and destroyed housing, financial support for people, job search, etc.
Ukrainian IT specialists have proven that they are capable of working in extreme conditions – despite shelling and power outages, they timely execute projects for the global market and create products that are recognized at the international level. According to the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, this is a clear signal to investors that Ukrainian companies are promising for investment.
All-out war also boosted the DefenseTech field. We have expanded the capabilities of the Diya.City platform to support the development of technology companies in this area, allowing DefenseTech companies to join the ecosystem. Developments now on the market are revolutionizing warfare, allowing for an asymmetric response to the enemy. This includes the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, artificial intelligence and situational awareness systems.
