In recent years, Ukraine has confidently maintained its position among Top IT Outsourcing destinations not just in Europe but also globally (Outsourcing Journal, GSA, Gartner, PwC, International Association of Outsourcing Professionals).

In this article, we shall tell you more about Lviv, the second largest IT outsourcing center in Ukraine, the largest one in the country’s west, and one of the largest in Eastern Europe. This city is home to hundreds of IT companies (both Ukrainian and foreign), and their number is steadily growing every year.

Here are some strong reasons why it is worth choosing Lviv as an offshore software development center.

Geographical and Cultural Proximity

Of all the major Ukrainian IT hubs, Lviv is located closest to the EU’s borders. A few hours by plane from here, and you are in Berlin or Barcelona. Lviv Airport serves about four dozen destinations and connects the city with most parts of Europe and North America.

[Source: itcluster.lviv.ua]

As for the time zone, Ukraine is 7 hours ahead of the US East Coast and 1 to 2 hours ahead of the European Union. This makes cooperation with local developers quite comfortable.

The city is both close geographically to customers from Western countries and culturally similar. Minimum differences in mentality make cooperation still more comfortable.

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According to a study conducted by Lviv IT Cluster, the number of IT specialists working in the city has grown to 25,000 people. Over the past 4 years, the market has grown by more than 80%.

[Source: IT Research 4.0]

At the end of 2019, 461 companies were operating in the city. 80% of Lviv IT employees are technical specialists. 95% of Lviv IT specialists have colloquial English language skills at least.

[Source: IT Research 4.0]

The city’s human capital assets are growing due to universities, dedicated course graduates, and internal migration from other parts of the country.

Cost Efficiency

It will be cheaper to outsource an IT project or open an offshore software development office in Lviv than doing so in Poland or other Eastern European countries. Moreover, if you compare the cost with that in Western Europe, the savings will average 40 to 60% or even more.

The average software developer rate in Lviv is from $25 to $50 per hour, depending on their experience and the programming language. This means that having the same project budget, you can hire professionals possessing more experience than the ones located in Berlin, Krakow, or any US city.

Local Community and IT-Friendly Environment

Lviv IT Cluster unites more than a hundred companies. The community promotes Lviv as a technology-friendly city, supports educational projects, conducts industry research, and participates in many projects. Currently, it is the largest of the Ukrainian technological associations.

The city regularly hosts conferences and other events, some of which are listed as the largest events in Eastern Europe. In particular, Lviv IT Arena 2020 was held for the eighth time, gathering 4,076 participants addressed by 88 speakers. Lviv Outsourcing Forum, the annual IT companies’ top management conference, is also worth noting.

The IT community partakers constantly attend some events (hackathons, meetups), exchange knowledge and experience, as well as enter competitions. R&D centers of renowned companies (Wildix, SCC, Oracle, Plarium, Keel, OnApp, and Siemens) are already operating here and new ones are constantly being established.

IT-related Education

Lviv has a very strong educational base. The city hosts many technical universities, and this fact attracts students from all over Ukraine. In total, Lviv universities annually graduate more than 4,000 young IT professionals. Many courses are also held to train professionals in various IT areas. Moreover, multiple educational programs are also conducted based on specific companies.

It is important that apart from academic education, non-formal training is also actively developing. That means there is a sufficient pool of professionals who eagerly share their high-quality experience and an even greater demand on the part of those who are eager to learn.

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This beautiful historical city, located close to the EU’s borders, is one of the key IT hubs in Ukraine. Choosing it as an IT outsourcing destination will be a perfect solution for any business to implement its projects.

One of the features of Lviv is that the city’s IT area is among the key directions approved officially as the city’s competitiveness strategy. This means that local government, businesses, and the general public are acting in concert to develop the IT industry. This synergy is actually producing great results.

If you are ready to take over the world with your product and implement the most challenging ideas, Lvivity is ready to become your reliable technology partner in this tough but certainly interesting business!