The news ran like lightning in Kharkiv when Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the President of Ukraine, initiated the creation of a Ukrainian Silicon Valley in the city. The City Council issued Order #173 dated 7 September 2020 on the beginning of the works on the project of ‘developed information technology and technological area “Ukrainian Silicon Valley”, SQ reports.

The corresponding initiative of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was announced on his official page in Telegram.

‘Kharkiv is often called the student and scientific capital. Our purpose is to make the region also the capital of the defence industry, mechanical engineering and IT, a kind of Ukrainian Silicon Valley,’ the President posted.

Aleksandr Yaroslavskyi, the owner and president of the DCH group, will become the general investor and coordinator of the creation of the Ukrainian Silicon Valley in Kharkiv. The project will be implemented based on the Ecopolis HTZ high technology business park. Aleksandr Yaroslavskyi has successfully acted as a general investor and coordinator of an essential megaproject for the region, i.e. preparation of Kharkiv for EURO 2012. He invested more than $300 million in the construction of a new stadium, an airport, the first luxury hotel for the UEFA headquarters, and other necessary infrastructure facilities in the city. UEFA highly appreciated his work and the Kharkiv National University of Municipal Economy awarded him the title of Honorary Doctor. The total amount of Yaroslavskyi's investments in the economy of the Kharkiv city and region exceeded $1 billion. He is also planning to invest $1 billion more in the development of Ecopolis HTZ by 2033.

A working group for the project of the Ukrainian Silicon Valley is being created at the City Council. The project will be executed as part of the Development Strategy of Kharkiv until 2030, which has already secured the priority status for the city of Ecopolis HTZ. The group included representatives of local authorities, DCH corporation, leading technology universities and research organizations in the region.

Let us recall that about 14% of all IT specialists in Ukraine are based in Kharkiv. The city is traditionally considered to be the intellectual capital of Ukraine as about 30 thousand students graduate every year and the N.V. Karazin Kharkiv National University is ranked as highest in international rankings among Ukrainian universities.

Silicon Valley is a part of the American state of California near San Francisco. The Silicon Valley is known as the world centre of scientific and technical potential and the technological ‘heart’ of the United States in the development and production of computer equipment, its accessories and components, especially microprocessors and software, devices and technological solutions for mobile communications, biotechnology, as well as one of the world centres of venture capital investing.

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