Yurii Antoniuk
CEO, EPAM
One of the main wartime challenges is the security of the team and, accordingly, the relocation of specialists and businesses. Not only our company has been experiencing this challenge - we are talking about the entire IT industry with development centers in hot spots of the country.
Next challenge is to ensure business operation on the same level as before a full-scale russian invasion. It is not only about our performance and efficiency, but also about the decisions on further cooperation and customers’ plans. We managed to convince clients, like many other companies, not to stop projects in Ukraine. I would like to separately note the understanding of the situation and the desire to support the country and its talents from our clients. The IT industry, unlike other industries, is continuing to work and develop, as evidenced by the latest NBU data and survey results of the IT Ukraine Association.
Another challenge is the lack of planning ability. We are not talking about a long-term vision, but about the next 3-6 months. Many questions are of concern: how the industry will develop, what will happen with education, many IT specialists left Ukraine and not all of them are returning, etc. Currently, the answers to all these questions are not clear, but they significantly affect the state and further development of the industry.
EPAM has been a part of the Association for many years and we appreciate its contribution to the establishment and development of the industry. Before the full-scale War, the Association performed on more strategically interacting at the legislative and state levels, all together we implemented joint educational projects. After February 24, the Association turned into an operational and tactical assistant for business, for example, in matters of team evacuation and business relocation. Changes have taken place in business: new challenges have arisen, so the work of the Association has also changed. Without the active, open position of the participants of the entire IT community and the willingness to share their experience on the basis of the IT Association, such a rapid restructuring of the business would not have taken place. We are currently conducting legal consultations on issues of mobilization, terms and conditions of specialists’ stay abroad, etc. The Association is trying to cover the entire range of new business operation challenges during wartime.
Lots were surprised by the high adaptability of our business. Obviously, we learned to work in conditions of absolute decentralization (without being tied to offices and cities) during the pandemic - the main thing is the availability of the Internet. I am glad that the IT industry, which benefits people, the government, and the economy, continues to work and is an example for other industries. After all, some of the essentially similar businesses can also organize remote work with the help of new technologies and opportunities - for example, Starlink. This is a completely different view on business organization and the economy as a whole. Our industry shows how businesses can survive and grow with technology, and it's worth following and adopting.
And another lesson of wartime is that everything depends on people. Due to the common values and the atmosphere after a quick shock, people have collaborated around the army, volunteering, community, work. This is a unique feature of Ukrainians – to unite and to act: to protect, to volunteer, to work... And we, as employers, should support this attitude and continue to attract young talents so that they are motivated to stay and work in their country. At the strategic level, plenty is still vague, but now it is worth making maximum efforts so that people have prospects for professional development not abroad, but within the country.
The War affected everyone. Together, it is easier to change approaches and find better solutions. We all work in the same market, with the same bodies of state power and military administration. The Association and joint representation of interests shows that this is not a company, but a whole industry that works for the country and its economy, providing foreign exchange earnings. The community based on the Association essentially visualizes the industry. The largest and the eldest Association is the face of IT in the country.
