Rakuten to open R&D center in Kyiv

Japan’s company Rakuten, the owner of Viber service, intends to open a research and development center in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation has reported on its Facebook page.

"Rakuten is expanding its presence in Ukraine. An existing office in Odesa is being developed and an R&D center is being opened in Kyiv," reads the statement.

According to the ministry, Rakuten in Ukraine may be interested in the following areas: stimulating the development of IT industry, cooperation with the Ukrainian blockchain community, internships for students, participation in educational projects and creation of services for entrepreneurs.

Rakuten is a Japanese e-commerce and online retailing company based in Tokyo. In 2014, Rakuten purchased Viber for $900 million. This messaging app is installed on 97% of smartphones of Ukrainian residents.

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