The Ukraine/Russia war has had a devastating global impact on economies, the energy industry - and, in some unexpected ways, technology. Some of the impacts are obvious, with IT companies and firms working on emerging technologies scaled back, or departed, Russia - some of them, like interruptions to Kyiv-based GSC Game World’s development on the video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, have been less mainstream, but still held an undeniable impact on the people of the region, and the world. And as people like Appian CEO Matt Calkins call for a ban on software sales in the region, it’s clear the technological conflicts are just beginning.
In response to this, Russia has tried to reduce their reliance on foreign software platforms, as sanctions and societal backlash - as well as a law banning the use of foreign software in state institutions after January 1st, 2025 - means Russia is looking inward for a new generation of engineers to develop proprietary software, a very difficult technological shift to conjure.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s IT services exports grew nearly 10% over the first 10 months of 2022, a rare sector of the company’s economy thriving under the current difficult economic conditions. In December 2022, Adaptavist’s acquisition of Rozdoum marked the first time a resident of Diia City (the technology hub city established in Ukraine weeks before the war began) was acquired by a foreign corporation.
One thing is clear: there is no neat solution to ensuring the citizens of Russia and Ukraine both stay connected to the world, which presents an interesting, unique set of challenges for tech companies (and governments) to navigate. In addition, SpaceX announced they were no longer going to pay for the operation of 20,000 Starlink satellites donated to Ukraine, further threatening the company’s access to critical global services, forums, and infrastructure - a prescient reminder that in 2023, war is no longer confined to the physical battlefield.
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