KYIV. Aug 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The number of employees at 25 largest IT companies since the beginning of 2017 has increased by 2,104, or by 6.2% compared to the second half of 2016, which is a record high since 2014, such data were posted by the Dou.ua profile portal.
The number of employees of 50 large IT companies grew by 2,953, or by 7%.
The top five leaders in terms of the number of employees over the year has not changed. The largest IT company remains EPAM with the staff of 4,800 people, which is 200 more than the previous figures. Its offices are located in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Vinnytsia. The company has the largest number of vacancies – 400.
The second largest company in terms of staff was again SoftServe with offices in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, Chernivtsi, where 4,605 employees work. Since the beginning of the year the company has increased the staff by 114 people, whereas last year by more than 500 specialists, Dou.ua reported.
According to research, the third largest company, Luxoft, with offices in Kyiv, Dnipro and Odesa increased the number of employees by 165, to 3,865 people and announced 290 vacancies in Ukraine. GlobalLogic, which ranks fourth, raised the number of workers by 173 people, to 3,005 (it has offices in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, and Mykolaiv).
Ciklum with offices in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Odesa, and Vinnytsia ranked five and decreased its staff by 33 specialists, to 2,943 employees.

KYIV. Aug 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine in January-July 2017 increased exports of titanium ore and concentrate in real terms by 60.5%, compared to 2015, to 353,022 tonnes.
According to customs statistics, made public by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, exports of titanium ore and concentrate in monetary terms over the period rose by 32%, to $56.734 million.
Major exports were made to the Czech Republic (21.41% of the supply in money terms), China (15.38%), and Turkey (15.32%).
Ukraine in January-July 2017 imported 82 tonnes of titanium ore and concentrate, mainly from Senegal (73.13%), Finland (22.39%) and Iran (4.48%) for $67,000, while in January-July 2016 the country imported 38 tonnes for $28,000 from Senegal (71.43%), Germany (21.43%) and Vietnam (7.14%).

KYIV. Aug 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Bogdan Corporation’s Car Assembly Plant No. 1 (Lutsk), part of Bogdan Motors, which produces buses and trolleybuses, could supply 40 low-floor trolleybuses to Kremenchuk for the funds of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
According to local media reports, Bogdan Motors’ offer was accepted by the tender committee of the customer (Kremenchuk Trolleybus Department) as the most profitable one.
Bogdan should supply 35 units of 12-meter and five 18-meter trolleybuses to Kremenchuk.
Spokesman for Bogdan Corporation Serhiy Krasulia confirmed this information, but promised to give all the details after the corresponding contract is signed.
As reported, at the end of last year the EBRD announced its intention to provide a loan of up to EUR8 million to municipal enterprise Kremenchuk Trolleybus Department for the purchase of 50 new low-floor trolleybuses, spare parts for them and repairs.
The loan provided under the city’s guarantees will be accompanied by an investment grant of up to EUR2 million from the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P), whose largest contributor is the EU.

KYIV. Aug 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Kniazha Life VIG insurance company in July 2017 signed an agreement on cooperation with a new partner, Free Life (Dnipro), which provides consulting services for registration of life insurance programs.
According to the website of the insurer, the decision on cooperation was made taking into account the branched client base in all the regions of Ukraine and the compliance of the further development strategy of the partner with the strategic objective of Kniazha Life VIG.
PJSC Kniazha Life VIG was established in 1999, It specializes in life insurance.
As reported, in 2016 the insurance company increased premium collection by 16.17% compared to 2015, to UAH 85.799 million from UAH 73.857 million, insurance claim fee payments by 2.4 times, to UAH 6.418 million.

KYIV. Aug 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – DBI Hotels & Resorts (headquartered in Switzerland) plans in 2017 to increase the occupancy of the Ramada Encore Kyiv hotel by 14% compared to 2016, to 65% from 51%, the press service of the hotel has told Interfax-Ukraine.
The average cost of living for one guest per day is to rise in the hotel in 2017.
“There is percentage of increase and it amounts to 15-18%,” the press service said.
According to its data, in 2016 the hotel accepted about 75,000 guests, while the occupancy of rooms last year increased by more than 13% compared to 2015.
Wyndham Hotel Group (WHG) in June 2012 opened its largest four-star hotel under the Ramada Encore brand as part of the Stolychny multifunctional complex (formerly Domosfera) at 103 Stolychne Highway in Kyiv’s Holosiyevsky district. The hotel is managed by DBI Hotels & Resorts (Switzerland).
According to DeVision (Kyiv), the developer of the project of the multifunctional complex, investments in the opening of the hotel amounted to about UAH 520 million.

KYIV. Aug 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) – British-based Stiletto Systems Ltd. jointly with Canadian-based MAGNUM and its division Waterbury Farrel are considering the possibility of participating in a tender of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to create a new production of shooting and artillery ammunition in Ukraine.
Head of Stiletto Ukraine Roman Karpenko told Interfax-Ukraine the British-Canadian alliance has practical experience in designing and building modern ammunition production facilities in a number of countries and is ready to provide the construction of a new ammunition plant in Ukraine.
“Stiletto Systems Ltd. in alliance with MAGNUM and its division Waterbury Farrel are interested in participating in a possible tender of the ministry and are ready to offer a wide range of infantry and artillery ammunition, taking into account the request of the Defense Ministry and the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” he said, noting that the alliance’s proposals for cooperation in the project were submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for familiarization in July.
British-based Stiletto Systems Ltd. specializes in the development of ammunition and small arms.