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IT-Enterprise took part in the IT Bar show with businessmen, owners and top managers discussing news from the IT and innovation world. IT Bar is a space where discussion battles are held in an informal and friendly manner and streamed on YouTube. This helps to build strong horizontal ties between representatives of a truly diverse Ukrainian IT industry.

There were many subjects to discuss: Ukrainian IT exports, mobilization and booking of IT specialists, foreign investment in Ukraine, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The team of participants included Roman Iavorskyi, CCO at IT-Enterprise, Yevhen Donets, CEO & Co-founder of Helsi, Iegor Demiankov, COO at Netpeak, Denis Volosov, Founder of People.Digital and THE/DVIZH. They spoke about the current innovation trends, expectations and forecasts, and how events in the tech sector will affect people.

IT BAR is organized by the European Software Engineering Association (EASE). 

Ukrainian IT is both a driving force and a melting pot bubbling non-stop with ideas, projects, and ambitions. 

IT-Enterprise shared its own view on the main news from the IT community's feed. Here are the key highlights: 

IT services exports from Ukraine in November 2023 amounted to $508 million, the lowest since early 2022

News: The National Bank of Ukraine has published a report on the export of IT services from Ukraine. In January 2024, it was only $508 million, which is $103 million less than in December 2023. There was also a $20 million decline compared to January 2023.

Exports of Ukrainian IT services in 2023 amounted to $6.7 billion, which is 8.4% less than in 2022, when they reached a record $7.3 billion.

Small talk: In 2022–2023, the market showed different attitudes to ordering IT services from Ukrainian companies. Buying services in Ukraine was considered an enormous risk. This encouraged IT businesses to open branches in Europe and the UAE to fulfill their partners’ requirements for security and stability. Surely, it was a sign of resilience in crisis.

Using the “crisis effect” to their advantage is a major task for Ukrainian IT players. This covers multiple areas: cybersecurity, cooperation, e-services, digitalization of various B2C interactions, as well as relations between citizens and the state or local authorities.

Apparently, Ukraine can offer deep yet more affordable expertise in IT services compared to Western Europe and North America.

IT product companies also have a significant chance of increasing exports abroad. The market has already acknowledged Ukraine's resilience, creativity, and modern forms of digital services tested by crises and war.

In recent years, Ukrainians living abroad have continued using Ukrainian IT services, while IT professionals working for foreign companies have been endorsing Ukrainian teams. All this has contributed to the promotion of Ukrainian IT.

Ukraine’s digitalization scale is known far beyond its borders. It is being discussed in almost all countries, among which some even want to learn from Ukraine’s experience of digitalizing public services. Back at Davos 2022, Ukraine was nicknamed the “digital tiger” of Europe.

The DIGITAL TIGER report presents the research on the IT industry in Ukraine by the IT Ukraine Association. One particular subject is the export of IT services.

After the war ends, investments in the Ukrainian IT sector may increase manifold: up to $15–20 billion annually

News: The Ukrainian IT market is now experiencing a wave of “pent-up demand”. Although many foreign companies hesitate to invest in Ukraine because of the war-related risks, the end of hostilities would make investing in Ukraine more than profitable, with a growth potential of up to $15–20 billion annually.

Small talk: Business is not about waiting. Business is about flexibility and taking quick action. Today’s global community, including European governments, is willing to support Ukraine, as it is proved by the projects currently in progress in Ukraine:

The EBRD SME Advisory Support Program aims to help increase production capacity and allows participants to receive compensation of up to 85% of business automation costs. One example is the case of the Kyiv Crane Machinery Plant.

The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative drives the digital transformation of communications between city authorities and citizens. For instance, there is a project aiming to implement the E-Reception web platform in Chervonohrad, Lviv Region, and Nikopol, Zaporizhzhia Region.

Being proactive, searching for new niches, markets, investment funds, cooperation, and a culture of donations and support are steps that IT businesses work on daily. At the same time, the IT market needs to mature, meet standards, and demonstrate the proper level of business culture. Naturally, investment institutions want to see well-calculated, innovative, resilient and low-risk business projects.

An important step was taken when President Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a decree on January 26, 2024, establishing the Council for Support of Entrepreneurship under Martial Law and the All-Ukrainian Economic Platform “Made in Ukraine”.

Diia to introduce an AI-powered chatbot assistant

News: Diia is working on the introduction of an AI-based assistant to help its contact center respond to messages. “The technology will be called Nadiia” (“Hope”), said Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. 

Small talk: A benchmark of 2023 in the tech world was artificial intelligence (AI) joining the ranks of pop icons. In 2024, the IT community predicts an even bigger surge in popularity and expansion of AI chatbot use in healthcare, prescription of medications, etc.

Since Diia is a trendsetter in the IT market, AI chatbots and their numerous applications in other IT services are expected to become the norm.

The no-code/low-code platform IT-Enterprise v2024 already features a module of ready-to-use AI assistants. These are chatbots based on artificial intelligence (AI) and individual LLM projects. 

The standard version of the AI Assistant IT-Enterprise module allows users to create a personal or corporate AI assistant with just a few clicks. It can help to systematize and analyze data from financial reports, internal instructions, and other complex and voluminous documents. 

Here are the AI-based chatbots already up and running: 

Smartik AI is a reliable assistant in the sphere of tenders, commercial and public contracts. The chatbot is hosted on SmartTender.biz, an electronic bidding system.

Thanks to the chatbot's AI capabilities, clients can benefit from getting relevant and important information about bidding conditions, legal aspects of contracting, etc.

Sensor AI is a guide to IT-Enterprise product solutions, completed projects, and Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies. The chatbot is in open access on the IT-Enterprise website.

Anna Maly is an AI assistant issuing notifications about anomalous trends in equipment operation, which are detected by analyzing a number of indicators (vibration, current, temperature, etc.). It warns users in advance about the likelihood of critical situations. 

This service is paired with the SmartEAM solution, whose task is to improve equipment reliability and reduce maintenance costs.

Check the video to learn about other topics that also produced animated discussions.