Kyiv

Stephan went to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to visit one of the largest outsourcing companies in Europe. Many Swiss companies have outsourced their IT infrastructure here and several well-known logos are visible on the office doors. Stephan meets with the site leader and the CTO of the company to discuss terms, processes and the role of Ukraine as an outsourcing destination.

Although Ukraine is home to a large number of excellently trained IT professionals, the general economic environment is very difficult. The invasion of the Crimea, the downing of the Malaysian airliner with Russian equipment (and presumably by Russian soldiers), in combination with the Russian attempt at fanning a civil war with logistical, weapons and troop support do the rest. Afterwards, Stephan visited the Maidan to see the traces of the Ukranian uprising against the Yanukovich regime, talk to the families of victims of the uprising and take pictures.

The energy and decisiveness with which the Ukrainians fought for their country should serve as an example and a warning to Western Europeans — sometimes you have to fight for your values and your freedom.