Ukraine second in Central and Eastern Europe by number of AI companies - study

Ukraine ranks second among countries in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of the number of companies working in the field of artificial intelligence -- 243 companies and about 5,200 specialists.

That's according to the study entitled "AI ecosystem in Ukraine: talents, companies, education," Ukrinform reports, citing the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

According to the results of the study, out of the total number of IT specialists in Ukraine (307,000), AI specialists make up less than 1%, however, over the past ten years, the number of AI/ML specialists has increased fivefold and stood at 5,200 as of January 2024.

The researchers said the active migration of specialists abroad due to the war leads to a shortage of qualified personnel in the domestic market, restraining the development of the industry.

The most common occupations among specialists are Data Scientists and ML Engineers, which together make up 63% of all specialists in the industry.

As of the end of 2023, 243 AI companies were operating in Ukraine. This is the second indicator among countries in Central and Eastern Europe after Poland (301 companies). Over the past four years, 34 new AI companies have appeared in Ukraine.

According to the research, 76% of 243 AI companies were founded in Ukraine and/or by Ukrainians abroad.

Some 55% of offices of Ukrainian AI companies are located in Kyiv, where the largest talent pool is concentrated - 47.5%.