Kharkiv is among Kyiv, Livi, and Dnipro as cities known for their advanced IT industries. They are the tech center of Eastern Ukraine. This article is going to cover why Kharkiv has gained respect in this field.
A specific look at Kharkiv’sIT industry
Overall
Kharkiv is now seen as the second largest IT center in Ukraine, Kyiv being the first. Over 300 IT companies have offices there. Foreign IT companies have also chosen Kharkiv to set up their businesses. In total, there are over 22,000 IT specialists in Kharkiv.
IT education also plays an important role. Universities in Kharkiv offer high-quality training. Also, IT education is more significant in high schools than in other countries.
One thing that has certainly helped the growth of the IT industry in Kharkiv is the ability to successfully network. There are numerous communities, meetups, and annual conferences. Co-working spaces are ideal for sharing new ideas and innovations. Due to the Kharkiv IT cluster, companies and universities have a stronger tie. Approximately 22,000 IT positions are created every year.
Infrastructure
It is easy to fly directly from Kharkiv to multiple European cities. Here are just a few of the main ones:
- Warsaw, Krakow, Katowice, Wroclaw, Gdansk, and Poznan, Poland.
- Dortmund, Germany.
- Vienna, Austria.
- Paris, France.
- Rome, Italy.
- Barcelona, Spain.
More direct flights are expected to start. Until then, you could also get a flight to Kyiv and fly from there. It’s just a 5-hour train journey between Kharkiv and Kyiv.
The profile of a Kharkiv IT Specialist
35% of the IT specialists are between 21 and 25 years old, 31% 26-36 years old, and 17% are 31–35 years old. Most are homeowners and they have their own car. They are generally keen on travel and the idea of having two children in the future.I
Kharkiv IT Communities
In 2015, 6 IT companies in Kharkiv created IT cluster with the idea of transforming the Kharkiv IT infrastructure. They want to build closer relationships between software development companies, local authorities, and universities. They carry out annual research in the IT infrastructure of the city.
They have been extremely successful in creating strong legal practices that protect local IT businesses. Kharkiv IT cluster has also created educational platforms such as kids2IT, students2IT, and Unicorns.
IT Talk
IT Talk is open toeveryone who is keen on IT. It runs presentations for developers and projectmanagers in .Net, C, and Java. It is a great community for providingopportunities to students and professionals. The meetings are free and they arean excellent place to exchange information.
IT Sector Kharkiv
This community is social-media-based and promotes the concept of discussing work-related issues. It also encourages active citizenship. You will find them on various social media. On Twitter alone, there are 80,000 followers.
ITHunt
This is the first community aimed and IT HRs and recruiters. There are meetings, workshops, courses, training, and conferences. The main objective is to connect junior HR managers and IT recruiters with experts in a range of specialists. While working with HR team members in Kharkiv, it also aims to develop skills of HR team members in other cities.
Tech events in Kharvik
There are a number of noteworthy events across Kharkiv. .Net Full stand 2019 is aimed at connecting .Net developers, with the opportunity of meeting some of the best talents. Those who attend this event can learn how to make applications and improve productivity. While the largest JavaScript event is KharkivJS x10. Last year, 30 speakers took part. They were from all across the globe and addressed 700 participants. Both of these two events take place in Fabrika Space.
Other events to lookout for are Kharkiv Project Management Day, NgTalks 2019, PMCon, and KharkiviOS Peerlab
Places to Study IT in Kharkiv
There are a number of leading universities across Kharkiv. We have listed only 2 and their studies:
- National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute”- machine building, engineering, automation, computer science, and more.
- National Aerospace University H.E. Zhukovsky “Kharkiv Aviation Institute”- plane and space technology, computer systems and networks, specialized computer systems, software of automated systems, and more.
- The Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics- computer science, automatics, and computerized technologies, and computer engineering and control.
- V.N Karazin Kharkiv National University- computer science, computer engineering, cybersecurity, automation, and computer integrated technologies.
If you aren’t looking for full-time studies but just want to take a course, try STEP IT Academy, Sigma Software University, A-level Ukraine, or SoftServe IT Academy.
Coworking Spaces in Kharkiv
Probably the most popular space is the Fabrika, created in 2015. It is perfect for studying and working thanks to the fast Internet connection. There are three separate spaces. There are areas to rest, shower and even free tea, coffee, and biscuits.
If you would prefer to explore other coworking locations, have a look at CoWorking Club, The Place Of, or Coworking Shishka. All of them are clean, modern spaces where you can work, study and rest in comfortable conditions.
In Conclusion
Kharkiv has it all. It already has a solid base of companies that are providing IT solutions to companies all over the world. Universities are preparing bright, fresh students with skills and knowledge. The IT communities serve as a brilliant middleman to connect the two.
The salaries are attractive, especially when you consider the low cost of living. It is easy to get to other major European cities. Overall, Kharkiv has an amazing future ahead.