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IT WAVE 2025 served as a platform where business, government, and educational institutions discussed the future of Ukrainian IT — from current challenges to the vision for the industry’s development by 2030. The event, organised by Odesa IT Family, united representatives from the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the IT Ukraine Association, top managers of leading companies, start-ups, and financial partners.
The goal of the event was to define the strategic vectors for the development of Ukraine’s IT market until 2030, discuss the challenges the industry faces during wartime, and outline the role of technology in economic recovery.
During the discussions, participants emphasised that the growth of the technology sector is impossible without investment in human capital, business digitalisation, and Ukraine’s integration into the European technology space.
The key conditions for the sustainable development of the industry, as noted by Tetiana Nazarchuk (Deputy Director, IT Ukraine Association), are victory, stability, and the retention of human capital. This last point represents the most acute internal challenge for the IT industry. War demands “phenomenal resilience and flexibility” from companies to maintain their development pace, client trust, and global positions even during this period. The true strength of the sector, according to the representative of the IT Ukraine Association, lies in its ability to think strategically—to see not only today’s threats but also tomorrow’s opportunities.
At the same time, Ukrainian IT faces an external strategic challenge: accelerating integration into the EU digital space. This will necessitate the harmonisation of Ukrainian legislation with new European norms, such as the AI Act (rules for Artificial Intelligence), the Data Act (regulation of data access), and the Cyber Resilience Act (requirements for product cyber protection). Adaptation to these standards is a prerequisite for increasing investor confidence and strengthening user data protection within the European market.
Despite the challenges, the Ukrainian startup ecosystem ranks among the top three most dynamic in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE): over 2,600 active startups were operating in the country in 2024. According to the IT Ukraine Association’s “Digital Tiger 2024” study, IT service exports exceeded $7.3 billion. Furthermore, the role of deep tech and defence tech is growing, as is the significance of companies that combine technology, security, and infrastructure recovery.
Ukrainian IT demonstrates phenomenal resilience and agility—even during wartime, we are maintaining our development pace, client trust, and global positions. But the true strength of the industry lies in its ability to think strategically: to see not only today’s challenges but also tomorrow’s opportunities. It is partnerships, investment in education, and innovation that will form the foundation of the future digital economy
emphasised Tetiana Nazarchuk
The ITU is already working on launching an AgriTech hackathon, which will serve as a platform for developing innovations in agriculture—one of the key sectors for post-war recovery. Simultaneously, domestic demand is increasing: the Digital Solutions Marketplace already offers entrepreneurs over 100 services from Ukrainian developers.
By 2030, Ukrainian IT must transition from being a service exporter to a technology player that develops its own products, R&D, and startups. Key growth sectors will remain cybersecurity, DefenceTech, GovTech, AI and data analytics, as well as GameDev and EdTech.
