It’s a big decision to make! While considering the costs and quality, it now also comes down to the location, time, and cultural differences. Nowadays, both startups and major companies are looking at Lviv to cover their IT outsourcing needs.
Let’s take a closer look as to why this city has become so popular.
1. The huge range and variety of talent
Logically, when you are looking for IT outsourcing, you are going to get the level of talent. Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Lviv are the three largest IT centers in Ukraine. According to a report from 2018 showed 20,000-21,000 IT specialists in Lviv, a total of 15% if the entire IT talent pool of Ukraine.
With approximately 5000 tech experts graduating in 2019, this percentage is likely to grow, especially as this doesn’t take into consideration the technical colleges and IT schools. The high level of education provided by such institutes means that not only are their many graduates, they are also incredibly knowledgable.
It’s not just the citizens of Lviv, many choose to move there as it was recently rated the most comfortable city in Ukraine to live in.
The Financial Times has named Lviv as one of the top 10 IT cities of the future. It has also stated that the city is one of the most attractive in Europe for IT investment.
You will be able to find mobile, desktop and web application developers, and companies that work with AR/VR and IoT. There are 317 IT companies in Lviv.
2. It’s geographical advantages
In a Gartner survey, you will find Ukraine listed in the top 30 destinations for IT outsourcing and offshoring.
One of the greatest factors to bear in mind is the location of Ukraine. There is only a 1-hour time difference from Ukraine and numerous European countries, which means you don’t have to worry about working in inconvenient time zones.
The International Airport (Lviv Danylo Halytski) has direct flights to the majority of worldwide business centers. It’s just 2h45 to London, 1h40 to Berlin, 4h to Oslo and 12 h to New York.
3. Similar mindsets
The culture and mentality in Lviv are close to what you would find in other Western European countries. Over the years, it has been a part of Austria, Poland, and Hungary.
The locals have high levels of IT education, they are flexible and creative, above all, they are open to the idea of becoming part of the EU. Clients from the US and other European countries will work well with Ukrainian IT specialists. Clients will also appreciate their hard-working attitude and strong work ethics.
You won’t have to be concerned about language barriers. 80% of software engineers speak English well enough to communicate on a conversational level and almost 50% of those are fluent.
4. Expenses
Outsourcing services, as well as many business associated costs (like opening a new location), will be far cheaper in Lviv than in other European countries. You can expect savings of around 40-60%. To put this in perspective, you could find savings of up to:
- 50% in Poland
- 40% in the Czech Republic
- 30% in Hungry
You will also notice a lower cost of living compared with other larger Ukrainian cities. The savings you will be able to make will allow you to invest more in highly qualified, reliable and competent Ukrainian experts.
5. The IT community
The IT cluster in Lviv is the strongest in Ukraine and citizens work hard to continue its improvement. Universities, local authorities, and IT outsourcing companies are united with the common goal of fostering employee training and improving the local business environment.
Some companies have taken the initiative to open their own IT training sessions and classes in order to ensure their staff has access to the latest technology developments.
On a larger scale, IT events are regularly held in Lviv for business owners and programmers. Great examples are Lviv IT Arena, GDG DevFest Ukraine, and GameDev Conference. Events like this give attendees the chance to share ideas and experiences.
These 5 reasons to choose Lviv for your IT outsourcing needs are just a scratch of the surface. Once you learn more about the beauty, history, and culture of Lviv, you will have little doubt about which city to choose.