Kharkiv IT Cluster Threw its First Birthday Party

IT Cluster IT Cluster

IT Open Air Meet Up, dedicated to the first birthday of Kharkiv IT Cluster, took place on July 15, 2016 in Superior Golf & Spa Resort. Highly topical programme as well as surprises and gifts from Kharkiv IT Cluster and event partners had been prepared for the guests.

The partners of IT Open Air Meet Up became the following organizations: Superior Golf & Spa Resort (general partner), Rackray, Versobank, UkrSibbank, Confectionary Producing Plant “Solodkyi Myr”, Tour Company “Ukr-Brasil”, Honorary Consulate of Brazil in Kharkiv City, Litvinov Furniture, Public Union “Molodizhni Initsiatyvy”, a network of salons “Dim Optyky”, Insurance Company “Arsenal Strakhuvannia” and Roshchynska water.

The event began with a light buffet and the work of entertainment areas. Everyone could have a tank battle, try a game simulator, remember dashing 90-s in a cyber-retro area. The guests could also play a blitz game of chess with a representative of a partner company “Dim Optyky” and, concurrently, a grandmaster Yurii Korsunskyi.

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At the same time within golf clinic, everyone could have a tour through golf fields in golf cars. The guests could have a round of golf and simply enjoy pleasing views.

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Public speaking of the Chairman of Supervisory Board of Kharkiv IT, Cluster Oleksandr Medovyi, opened the official part of the event. He clearly demonstrated the progress made for the year. By the way, his speech is available to everyone.

It is hard to believe that Kharkiv IT Cluster began its work just a year ago, since we have managed to do a lot within the year.

Kharkiv IT Cluster has united 27 Kharkiv IT-companies. Only in the last three months such three major players of technology market as Mirantis, Akvelon and Ciklum jointed the Cluster.

The basic area of the Cluster’s activity is International Marketing, Legal Support, IT-community and Education. A new vector – Goverment Relations – has been launched in early July.

Kharkiv IT Cluster has made significant progress in each area:

–          International Marketing: Security Alert was taken off from Kharkiv Region on the sites of Embassies of Canada and the United States, over 100 contacts have been established with Embassies, Chambers of Commerce, specialized business associations of top-priority countries for the Cluster, 8 business events were organized with foreign representatives;

–          Legal: holding of 4 training workshops, organization of a meeting with an investigator of Regional Ministry of Internal Affairs on the matters of company audit, organization of 2 meetings with regional fiscal service, participation in profile training of law students within IT-Law program, organization of internships for law students in IT-companies, development of models and documents of dual education for Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. IT Legal Support program developed for providing assistance in protection of businesses from inspections, is currently operating in the area;

–          IT-community: IT visa support project was launched – 35 people received assistance in issuance of Schengen and American visas, 50 employees of corporate members of the Cluster received assistance in the preparation of corporate and business trips to Europe;

–   Education: Kids2IT and Students2IT projects aimed at attracting and growing young professionals were launched, new program “Internet Marketing” was tested in Kharkiv National University of Economics.

In his speech Oleksandr Medovyi stressed that one of the main tasks of Kharkiv IT Cluster was growing a real strong middle class in Kharkiv: “Any industry shall protect itself from non-professionals. That is why the level of IT-education is so important for us. IT is a field, where one can start very early and reach success very early as well. We know examples of talented developers who became millionaires attending a university or even a school. The more young people begin to try themselves in IT-field, the more young brains our industry will receive every year and the higher stage we will take on the international IT-market”.

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Oleksandr Medovyi’s speech was followed by a skype-call from Odesa City. Oleh Shkuropat, Branch Manager of Odesa branch of Ciklum Company, congratulated Kharkiv IT Cluster with its first birthday and expressed his pleasure connected with joining the Company to Kharkiv IT Cluster.

Then a representative of Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Acting Director of Department for Improving the Region’s Competitiveness, Viktoriia Beliavtseva, took the stage for expressing her congratulations and emphasizing the importance of activities performed by Kharkiv IT Cluster and its cooperation with the authorities of the City and Region. Viktoriia also said that the proposals of the Cluster were included to the “Project of Strategy of Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises of Kharkiv Region”.

Upon speech completion, executive director of Kharkiv IT Cluster, Nataliia Vynohradska handed top-managers of founding companies Gift Certificates from the general partner of the event – Superior Golf & Spa Resort.

Then a musical break in the performance of singing waiters’ show preceded toasts and congratulations.

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Vlad Beck, chairman of IT-committee of the European Business Association and Board of Directors of Sigma Software Group with Kostiantyn Vasiuk, coordinator of IT-committee of the European Business Association took the scene. Vlad and Kostiantyn marked the importance of cooperation between the European Business Association and Kharkiv IT Cluster in the direction of development of international relations and co-promotion of Ukrainian IT-industry in the world. An example of cooperation is the partnership within Seatle Tech Days (link).

Congratulatory speech was continued by Viktor Valeev, director of IT Ukraine Association, who spoke about the activities of the Association in lobbying changes at the legislative level and the importance of maintaining close contact with regional Clusters to maximally satisfy the interests of all market players when introducing laws related to IT- industry.

Stepan Veselovskyi, Director of Lviv IT Cluster, in his congratulatory message mentioned that Kharkiv Cluster has succeeded to make a great deal and unite almost as many companies within a year as Lviv Cluster had succeeded to do within a few years of work.

People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Roman Semenukha, wished success and prosperity to Kharkiv IT Cluster.

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Then representatives of international partners and Consulates: Emma Turos, executive director of Canadian Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine and managing partner of law firm “ILF”, Tatiana Havrysh, deputy head of representative office of Estonian Bank “Versobank” in Kharkiv City, Oleh Zahrevskyi, Honorary Consul of France in Kharkiv City, Serhii Poletuchyi, Director of business development services of DATA CENTER of Lithuanian Company “Rackray”, Victor Alyashevich, Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Brazil in Kharkiv City, Serhii Kutsevliak made their speeches.

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Upon completion of official toasts and congratulations, Honorary Consulate of Brazil in Kharkiv City surprised the guests with a show of Brazilian drums. A clockwork football and carnival show prepared the guests for the next part of the event.

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After a short break the most pleasant thing, giving prizes and gifts, began. The most active participants of entertainment area received sweet prizes – chocolate figures “Oscar” from event partner, “Solodkyi Myr” Company and books from event partner, Versobank Bank. Guests, having approved themselves in chess with the grandmaster received Certificates from event partner “Dim Optyky”.

Then it was time to use heads a little bit! Event presenter, Maks Rosenfeld, announced the launch of an intellectual quiz. All those who gave correct answers received prizes from the partners – Lithuanian tincture from Rackray and t-shirts from the main city guide. Barbecue show from the Chef took place at the veranda.

Then Pringlez band, finalist of elimination round for Eurovision 2016, appeared at the stage and began to burn with their drive and positive.

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A spectacular LazerMan performance and incredible 3D-cake followed the concert.

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Prize drawing was organized by the partners at the end of the evening.

Beanbag chairs with symbols of the Cluster from event partner, Litvinov furniture, were drawn among corporate members and got by Agilities, ITOMYCH and Verna. Sloboda Studio and Akvelon won coolers for a year and 20 bottles of water from event partner, Roshchynska water.

The rest of the gifts were drawn among the participants having left their business cards.

Kateryna Rodionova from Verna Company won a ticket to the Olympic Games from the Consulate of Brazil and Tour Operator “Ukr-Brasil”.

3D-souvenirs with symbols of Kharkiv IT Cluster from event partner,  Public Union “Molodizhni Initsiatyvy” made by graduate of IT-Recrut program, a participant of anti-terrorist operation, Oleksii Buhaev, were received by Serhii Belobrov from Spalah, Alina Synkova from Nix Solutions and Volodymyr Sokol from Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute.

Halyna Shakirova from Dev Pro and Maksym Samko from Art Lemon won Certificates from “Dim Optyky”.

Hennadii Fedorenko from Technologies of Innovations and Oleksii Vasiutkin from Promodo were lucky to win Insurance Certificates from event partner Insurance Company “Arsenal Strakhuvannia”.

Certificates to Bright Outsource event were also drawn among the guests. Karine Tumanyants from AltexSoft received a ticket to Outsourse People, and Oleksii Haiduk from Fortifier – to IT Business Camp.

Kharkiv IT Cluster expresses gratitude to all the guests and partners of IT Open Air Meet Up! You have created positive and friendly atmosphere! Thank you for your participation, cooperation, wishes and gifts. Together we will make our city an IT-leader in Eastern Europe!
Let us once again remember how was Kharkiv IT Cluster Birthday.

All photos from IT Open Air Meet Up >>

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