Japan IT Firms Hiring Ukrainian Web Designers, Engineers

Some Japanese information technology companies are employing workers in Ukraine to support them as their nation battles Russia.

Photo Insert: Konstantin Chvykov, 40, who hails from Ukraine, has been working since May at Tokyo-based IT company i3DESIGN Co., which supports companies with their digital transformation.

The IT sector has been a driving force for economic growth in Ukraine, dubbed the “Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe” for its abundance of tech talent, Yasuyuki Onaya and Takashi Yoshida reported for Asahi Shimbun reported.

But it is feared that human resources will leave the country because of Russia’s invasion. Konstantin Chvykov, 40, who hails from Ukraine, has been working since May at Tokyo-based IT company i3DESIGN Co., which supports companies with their digital transformation. He oversees recruiting engineers in Ukraine.

Osaka-based Next Age Inc. outsources web designing work to several companies in Ukraine. It has entrusted 11 projects worth more than 3 million yen ($22,500) since March.

"We can support them regardless of the distance," said President Daisaku Yoshimura.

Chvykov received applications from 50 people when he posted a job on a local job search website. He decided to proceed with seven of them, he said. Chvykov had been living in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, where a fierce battle was fought between Ukrainian and Russian forces.

He was running a website design company with his Japanese wife, Izumi, 38. Relying on the support of Izumi's parents, they came to Japan in late March and joined i3DESIGN.

By coincidence, he once worked for its local subsidiary in Kharkiv. Most of its 15 locally hired staff members sought refuge in the western part of Ukraine or neighboring countries after the invasion. They continue working remotely, however, making use of their strength as IT professionals who can work anywhere with internet access.

The recently recruited engineers can also work anywhere they desire. "We want to support them not temporarily but on a continuing basis," said Yoichiro Shiba, president of i3DESIGN.

"There are many talented resources in Ukraine, and they also bring positive effects for our growth." The Ukrainian IT industry grew more than eightfold over 10 years, according to the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

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