The economy today

Ukrainian “tech” mobilized in the war

Audio 04:17

In Ukraine, a digital army was recruited via the Telegram application at the call of the Minister of Digital (photo illustration).

Getty Images

By: Dominique Baillard Follow

4 mins

Before the war, Ukrainian “tech” was one of the promising jewels of the economy.

Today, this industry is 100% mobilized to defend the country, and to ensure its survival.

Advertising

A digital army has been recruited

the Telegram application at the call of the young Minister of Digital, a former

boss , who relies on one of his peers, Yegor Aushev, leader of a cybersecurity company and supporter of ethical hacking.

They would be about 300,000 engaged in this information war.

These internet crusaders follow the guidelines given by the government.

In civilian life, many of them are probably the young programmers or developers who form the pool of Ukrainian “tech”.

The sinews of war, money, is also collected in digital format.

The “crypto for Ukraine” fund only accepts bitcoins and ethereums.

He has already collected the equivalent of 90 million euros.

Donations intended to purchase military equipment.

The government believes that transactions with these new currencies are much faster than those of banks.

And once peace returns, he hopes to make this experience bear fruit in virtual currency.

Tech companies also provide active support to their employees

Some doubled the pay of those who joined the real army.

They have taken charge of the relocation of their staff, when it is still possible.

Help them find accommodation, papers.

Entire teams have migrated to Poland, Georgia or Romania.

Kharkiv, kyiv and Lviv were the three major poles of this industry.

Only Lviv, the western city spared from the Russian bombardments, is still home to “tech” companies.

They invest in generators, internet providers, migrate their data as needed.

Their objective: to maintain their activity at all costs, to be able to pay salaries to their employees and to preserve the future.

They want to remain present and attractive to their customers.

Foreign companies fond of their services.

Faced with global demand, this industry has grown exponentially in recent years.

+36% in income between 2020 and 2021. “Tech” represents 4% of Ukrainian GDP and it is a significant source of export income, and therefore of foreign currency.

It is thanks to its advanced training in the field of technology, a legacy of the Soviet period, that Ukraine has become one of the countries of Eastern Europe most appreciated in the world for its pool of young people. talents.

These engineers speak fluent English and their geographical position makes their schedule more compatible with that of Western

in need of manpower.

Almost one in ten Israeli tech employees is actually a Ukrainian citizen.

Many of them are self-employed, a status favored by the tax system.

And very comfortable because salaries are paid in dollars.

But it is also a precarious status

Despite the solidarity expressed by their foreign employers since the outbreak of hostilities, demand is tending to decline.

Businesses fear that deadlines will not be met due to power outages or internet cuts, and even worse that their content will be pirated.

The young Ukrainian shoots and these independents must therefore pull out all the stops to win the war against Russia without losing their advantage against neighboring or distant competitors.

► IN BRIEF

The United States and the United Kingdom have ended their trade dispute over steel and aluminum.

The taxes put in place by Donald Trump are removed.

On the other hand, Washington is in no hurry to negotiate a free trade agreement with London, a big disappointment for the British government which has made it a priority in the post-Brexit era.

In 2021, the music industry exceeded $26 billion in sales, an all-time high.

And a staggering increase: +18% compared to 2020. It is

that is buoyant, it represents more than half of sales.

And it is also the success of some stars like the South Koreans BTS, the British Adele or the American Taylor Swift.

Your questions about the war in Ukraine © RFI

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Economy

• Ukraine

• Internet

On the same subject

Make a phone call, send messages, Telecoms Without Borders support for Ukrainians

Millions of messages sent to Russians to inform them about Ukraine