The IT market of Ukraine in times of war

Abstract

Abstract: The Ukrainian IT market has proven to be one of the most resilient and adaptive sectors of the national economy during the ongoing full-scale war. Despite facing unprecedented challenges, including geopolitical risks, military actions, and global economic turbulence, the industry continues to play a vital role in supporting the country's economic stability and international integration. This article explores the key trends, threats, and adaptation mechanisms that define the current state of Ukraine’s IT industry. The main goal of the study is to analyze the impact of war-related disruptions and macroeconomic instability on the performance and structure of the IT sector, and to identify the strategies Ukrainian companies employ to maintain their positions in global markets. The research methodology involves a combination of data analysis, including IT export indicators, financial and market scoring metrics (FinScore and MarketScore), and the examination of public sources such as industry rankings, expert reports, and statistical databases. Methods of comparative analysis, synthesis, and empirical interpretation were applied to assess the sector’s response to internal and external stress factors. The findings show that although Ukraine’s IT export volume declined by 8.5% in 2023, the first quarter of 2024 showed signs of stabilization and slight recovery. Major IT companies like EPAM, SoftServe, and GlobalLogic demonstrated notable resilience through digital innovation, operational flexibility, and market diversification. However, many other firms struggled with human resource losses, project reductions, and financial burdens. The study concludes that the future development of Ukraine’s IT market will depend on the sector’s ability to transform from a predominantly service-oriented model into a product-service hybrid, leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. In addition, entering new geographic markets, especially outside traditional client regions like the US and EU, is becoming increasingly important. These transformations will help Ukrainian IT companies remain competitive and sustainable despite ongoing war conditions and global uncertainty.