Innovation Technopark BIONIC Hill

The project to create in Ukraine High Technologies Park BIONIC Hill was initiated in 2011 with the support of Kyiv City State Administration by UDP - leading real estate development and investment market in Ukraine.

Innovation Technopark BIONIC Hill is a unique platform, which create the most favorable environment for the effective management and development business in the field of high technology. The key innovation specializations Park are information and communication technologies, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, energy efficiency and energy conservation.

The project concept

BIONIC Hill is an IT and hi-tech park located in a picturesque green area within Kyiv city limits.

A successful project uniting the frontiers of science with business and everyday life, respect and care for a unique and unspoiled slice of nature, an unprecedented standard of living and unrivalled chances for continual personal development – these are the main principles behind the BIONIC Hill concept.

BIONIC Hill Facts and Figures

·      International project

·      Tax and customs incentives

·      Support of the State Agency for Investment and National Projects of Ukraine and the Kyiv City Administration

·      Located in Kyiv

·      “Countryside” setting

·      “Live, work, learn, rest and play” concept

·      “Science – Business – Education” synergy

·      Office space rental considerably lower than in Kyiv

·      Land area: 147 Ha

·      Green area: 21 Ha

·      Total floor area: over 900,000 m2

·      Nearest railway station: 1.5 km

·      Kyiv Ring Road: 2.5 km

·      Kyiv Metro: 7.5 km

·      City centre: 17 km

·      Airport: 20 km

·      Business Centres: 225,000 m2

·      Research Centre and Specialised University 25,000 m2

·      Hi-tech production facilities: 75,000 m2

·      On-site hotel with conference facilities: 12,000 m2

·      Flats and other housing: 230,000 m2

·      Secondary school and kindergartens: 15,000 m2

·      Trade and Entertainment Complex: 15,000 m2

·      Fitness Centre with swimming pool: 3,000 m2

·      Car parks (12,500 spaces)

·      Work force of approx. 35,000

·      Approx. 10,000 residents

·      Approx. 2,000,000 people within 20 km

·      Information and Communication Technologies

·      Biotech and pharmaceuticals

·      Energy efficiency and green energy solutions

The project provides significant benefits on a national scale: it will create up to 35,000 jobs, revenues innovative companies-residents of the park will be about $ 900 million a year, while exports of products with high added value will exceed $ 600 million per year.

In addition, it is expected that BIONIC Hill in Ukraine will attract foreign direct investment and the world's best technologies provide a new level of international scientific and technical cooperation, provide incentives for the creation of innovation clusters in the areas of information, biotechnology, energy and other high-tech and provide a permanent source of revenue to the State Budget of Ukraine and local budgets.

Construction of the park begins in Q2 2013. Commissioning of the first phase of construction, including business centers, residential property and a number of social infrastructures is planned for Q1 2015.

Full completion of the Innovation Technopark BIONIC Hill is expected in 2020. In general, plans to build over 900 thousand m ² of objects of different functions.

The biggest IT conference in Eastern Europe - iForum 2013

This year iForum attended by more than 7,000 participants. The conference placed their stands more than 50 major Ukrainian and international Internet companies, and was represented by a large number of local start-ups.

iForum brought together top officials IT, including such figures as Anton Nosik (SUP), Igor Ashmanov (AIP), Dmitry Sholomko (Google-Ukraine), Katerina Kostereva (Terrasoft). And also - creators such as Nikita Seltzer (Caramba TV) and Alexei Ametov (Look At Me).

Forum traditionally reflects trends of the Network over the past year and sets the vectors of development for the future. iForum 2013 was no exception.

E-commerce, mobile applications and media market were the main trends of iForum 2013. Trending topics were also about freedom and restrictions on the Internet.

As always, 100% was filled stream of online advertising. Lead of stream Evgeny Shevchenko noted participants' interest in the stability and increase the number of listeners.

On the technological stream rose topic of cloud computing, high-loaded systems and "mobile" development - outlined the future development trends Sergei Korzh, presenter of stream.

The head of the organizing committee Ol'shanskii said that changing the format of iForum was good for the conference, and the following year the organizing committee will move in the same direction.

The invention of the Ukrainian students one of the best, «TIME» version

Students Computer Academy "SHAG" won the Imagine Cup 2012 in Sydney on July 10 held a truly epochal event for the computer industry in Ukraine - the first time in the history of the Ukrainians won one of the most prestigious competitions of IT-technology areas - Microsoft Imagine Cup. Team quadSquad, composed of students of Donetsk Computer Academy "SHAG", won the most difficult category - software development (Software Design), which has struggled for more than 70 teams.

They presented the world his socially oriented project called Enable Talk.

Enable Talk according to the magazine «TIME» included in the list “Best Inventions of the Year 2012” along with The Curiosity Rover, Google Glass, self-inflating tires and many others.

It aims at improving the communication of people with limited hearing and presents by glove equipped with a large number of sensors, such as sensors bend the fingers, a pair of accelerometers, gyroscope and compass, which allows you to gather information on the situation in the hands of the space in the future to transform a gesture to speech.

The software part of the development (based on Windows Phone 7 / Windows 8) can receive information from sensors gloves and continuous transformation in the audio signal. The information received through Bluetooth is transmitted to the smartphone and after fast processing gestures sounded voice. This invention will help deaf and dumb people to communicate more easily and conveniently. Also glove equipped with solar panels that optimizes its use.

During the presentation, the team demonstrated the possibility of gloves, talking to the audience in sign language that is instantly translated into voice. All those present, including the members of the jury, said that they have not seen anything like this before and were also highly appreciated the ability Ukrainians not only to program, but also to solder chips with their own hands.

To develop their project folks spent more than six months, it is expected that such a glove would be worth only $ 200.

Materials taken from the site: «EnableTalk»

Ukraine leads in Internet access

"Ukraine - one of the most prosperous countries in the world for Internet access," said Alexander Olshansky in the business breakfast CEO Club Ukraine January 24, 2013 in the President Hotel.

Referring to the statistics, the speaker noted that the 12 million Ukrainian Internet users spread across the territory of Ukraine is fairly evenly: "Today, the normal access to the Internet is in many villages. We have the infrastructure in this area is better than in Germany, and England. "Olshansky suggests that by 2014, 70% of the population will have access to the Internet. A quick burst will be associated with the emergence of all kinds of mobile devices, providing access to the Internet as an alternative to expensive PC.

Ukraine - one of the stars of the global freelancing market

Last year, an online platform for freelancers earned more than $ 1 billion According to the company Whichlance, the lion's share of the market controlled by two companies that have learned to benefit from mediation between client and contractor - oDesk.com and Elance. This fall in Ukraine came Vice President Elance Europe Chetil Olsen. He told Forbes.ua how changing global labor market and what the role of Ukrainian in the process.

- What is the history of Elance?

- The company appeared in 1999. Originally Elance specialized in developing software for large corporate customers. The clients were General Electric, FedEx and others. Things were going up, and the company absorbed the British ClickCommerce. It reoriented toward business development online platform that drove to the customers and freelancers via the internet. In 2007, it became a key business ClickCommerce. Now Elance - a platform that integrates 1.8 million freelancers, 153,000 of its customers and 210 tyschya vacancies. Moreover, this market is still in its infancy.

- What is a demand for Ukrainian freelancing labor market?

- Ukraine - one of the stars of this market. Over the past three years only through Elance platform Ukrainian executed orders worth $ 34 million We have 11 000 registered freelancers from Ukraine. In your country are talented developers. They are also actively collaborating with customers and help with the implementation of the product remain in touch and after the project. Ukrainians - reliable partners.

- The position of Ukraine is growing?

- Yes, still its place among the countries that supply us freelancers were lower. I think Ukraine has potential to rise above fourth place. Catch India and the U.S. will not be easy, but bypass Pakistan, coming third - is very likely. But in relative terms Ukraine include industry leader, especially when talking about freelancing in the IT-sector. Still, India is home to around a billion people, and the United States - about 250 million

- The income Ukraine is fourth, but the number of freelancers - only 15th. The reason probably is that most Ukrainian represent highly paid IT-sector?

- This is just one of the reasons why there are two. Ukraine - fast-growing market, and while he rapidly growing number of people do not have time for more money. Gradually, these rates will level off. The second reason - many freelancers from Ukraine individual and group accounts, this entire development team, and paid for their work, respectively.

Ukraine is among the top ten countries in Informatics

In the town of Sirmione (Italian Republic) was held The International disciplic Olympiad in Informatics. Of 324 participants from 81 countries have adequately presented Ukraine pupils and students having received prize places and won four medals.

Gold medal won  Sergei Nagin, student of the faculty of cybernetics of Kiev National University named after  Shevchenko. Silver medal got Vitaly Gerasimov, a student of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science of Lviv National University named after  Franco. the bronze medals  went to Roman Furko and Roman Rubanenko, pupils in grade 11 of Poltava Regional lyceum at Kremenchug Teachers College named after  Makarenko.

In the overall ranking Ukraine won 10th honorable place among the 86 participating countries.

All participants of the International Olympiad in Informatics got vivid impressions of staying in Italy, they are actively communicated with each other, and also visited some interesting excursions.

According to the materials: mon.gov.ua.

Ukraine has introduced tax exemptions for the IT business, which will provide a quick upturn in the industry

 Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) adopted a law granting significant tax benefits for the IT-sector in Ukraine, the effect of which will provide a breakthrough in the development of high technology.

“Today, Ukraine is ranked 5th in the world of exporting of software. The adopted law will provide an opportunity in the coming years, double the volume of Ukrainian exports of IT-services. The positive impact will feel the entire economy, "- said Vice Prime Minister Sergey Tigipko.

·                Corporate income tax will be reduced from 21% to 5% from the beginning of 2013

·                Personal income tax - from 15% to 5%

·                Value added tax - repealed (but only on the software, which will be developed by Ukrainians)

·                The period of exemptions is 10 years, only long term preferences can give the desired effect.

The initiators of the law have estimated that its enactment will increase the number of jobs (a third part of a year) and increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian IT-companies. After all, today in many countries, payroll taxes are much lower than in Ukraine (in India - 6%, in Brazil - 10%, Russia - 14%), which did not allow employers to pay to Ukrainians the same high wages.  And this led to an outflow of Ukrainian professionals abroad. Now the situation has changed dramatically, and Ukraine has all chances to strengthen its position in the global IT-industry.

The government is also preparing measures to promote the development of IT-sector in Ukraine. Thus, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is ready to increase the government procurement for learning in higher educational establishments.