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Kharkiv IT Cluster 2020: what the special year was like
KHARKIV IT CLUSTER 2020:
WHAT THE SPECIAL YEAR WAS LIKE
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2020 was special for everybody. We faced a pandemic and had to reorganize the ordinary workflow. Despite all the challenges, Kharkiv IT Cluster succeeded to gain more power, has better results, and even more plans for 2021!
Kharkiv IT Cluster shares the results of the organization’s work and the most memorable events of 2020!
THE IT COMMUNITY WORK RESULTS
The results of the Kharkiv IT Cluster com munity work in 2020 in numbers: • Now, we have more than 120 participants, leading IT companies and partners • More than 590,000 participants of the educational projects • More than 270,000 dollars were collected within the IT4Life project • 90 schools, colleges, and universities participated in the educational projects • More than 30,000 followers on social media in 2020 • More than 3 million views on social media in 2020 • More than 13 educational projects and initiatives implemented during only 2020 • More than 45 companies joined our educational initiatives in 2020 • More than 2000 teenagers from 5 Ukrainian cities participated in the educational projects in 2020 • More than 130 work programs and disciplines for universities are now being revised following the IT industry demands that we have collected in 2020 • More than 65 teachers from Kharkiv universities improved their qualifications in the Prof2IT project in 2020 • More than 10,000 people from 12 countries participated in the educational forum “NewEdu: Tech Future in focus” 2020.
In 2020, Kharkiv IT Cluster made a great success in the five main work directions: • Education & Human capital development • Legal support & GR • Regional and international PR &
Marketing • IT community & Values for members • City and infrastructure.
This year, the organization made a huge impact on technical education development and the IT industry promotion to young talents.
Kharkiv IT Cluster also created a PR communITy for members specialists. The meet ups of the community were so successful that it inspired many other companies, organizations and associations to create its own PR communities. Now, Kharkiv IT Cluster is launching the HR community and IT Sales community. This is only the beginning on the way to creating the “Silicon Valley” of Ukraine in Kharkiv.
KHARKIV IT CLUSTER: REWIND
At the beginning of 2020, Kharkiv IT Cluster joined the workgroup on the development of the region at the meeting with the representatives of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration and participated in the Davos 2020 Ukrainian House. It was one of the main contributions to the Legal support & GR direction. The organization took the responsibility to realize IT projects to join the computer industry and the government for better results.
The Cluster opened the New Members Welcome season, an annual meeting for new members of the organization to provide essential network, participated in the discussion of the VI Eastern business forum “Smart Real Estate: Where the real estate market goes”.
THE EPIDEMIC AND THE QUARANTINE HAD EVERYBODY CONFUSED
Despite all the difficulties, we did not stop our work! Kharkiv IT Cluster united the Kharkiv IT community and initiated the IT4Life project to help people during the pandemic. For less than six months, IT companies have collected more than 270,000 US dollars to help hospitals, medical workers and patients with coronavirus.
Later, Kharkiv IT Cluster and its members bought houses for those affected by the fire in the Kharkiv region and provided assistance in the relocation of Belarusian IT specialists in a difficult time for their country. Now, the IT4Life project continues its work as a charitable foundation.
In spring 2020, Kharkiv IT Cluster parti cipated in the business forum and the discussion about women in business: Women Techmakers Kharkiv Session #1, spoke at the webinar “Clusters as the tool to counter crisis phenomena and the driver of regions development”, and took part in the discussion “Equality and Diversity Policy: Business Experience”.
In autumn, Kharkiv IT Cluster and the representatives of the IT business met with the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, and, a little bit later, with the chairman of the organization “Office of Simple Solutions and Results” Mikheil Saakashvili. Together, the representatives discussed the IT industry development opportunities, and how the common work with the government could help the industry to grow. Kharkiv IT Cluster participated in the dis cussion of the Kharkiv International Legal Forum “Human rights and digital technologies: Why IT companies need to be responsible”, attended the Open Day of the Business Support Center Diya. Biznes, took part in the Festival of Creative Industries from Create Kharkiv and received the honorary title of the Ambassador of Kharkiv Creative Industries.
This year, Kharkiv IT Cluster got bigger: Amazon Web Services, Clutch, EU 4Digital, and UKRAINIAN CLUSTERS, the Ecopolis KhTZ High-Tech Business Park became its partners. In December 2020, the Cluster held an international B2B Matchmaking IT Forum with Latvia.
At the end of the year, Kharkiv IT Cluster held an online brainstorm of the Cluster's educational committee, the World Cafe “Challenges for IT business in a pandemic” with its members, a general meeting of all members and partners of Kharkiv IT Cluster, and the conference “Synergy. IT Business & IT Education”.
This year was full of fascinating and important events for the IT industry of the Kharkiv region and Ukraine in general.
Besides, Kharkiv IT Cluster created a closed community of the Cluster members — PR communITy for which we regularly hold closed thematic online meetings.
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS OF THE YEAR
In 2020, Kharkiv IT Cluster participated in ruhrSUMMIT 2020, European Cluster Conference, EU4Digital Facility, Digital Partnership round table with Germany, and Kharkiv EDU Forum. Stay tuned — let's develop the ecosystem for technology business in 2021 together with Kharkiv IT Cluster!
Author:
Olga Shapoval,
Executive Director, Kharkiv IT Cluster
