Ukrainian IT Firm Signs Contract with Japanese Map Service to Establish Presence in APAC

Intellias, a Ukrainian software development firm that has since grown globally, entered a partnership with Japanese map data provider ZENRIN to jointly develop digital maps for modern car navigation systems.

According to Intellias’ press release, the partnership aims to bring ZENRIN’s “Japanese maps to the specific data formats for global delivery.”

“Both companies are ready to leverage their proven expertise, approaches, and tools to stay at the forefront of efficient and sustainable innovation in the automotive field,” read the press release.

Intellias said the new partnership with ZENRIN is part of its initiative to expand in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

“In the course of Intellias strategic globalization initiative, the company strives to grow its presence in the APAC region by building strategic alliances in this market … Intellias recognizes ZENRIN, a leader in Japan map data and services, as a perfect partner to achieve visible progress in both directions, expansion to the APAC region, and proving the company’s position as an expert in mapping solutions development,” said the company in its press release.

Oleksandr Odukha, senior VP of delivery at Intellias, told Forbes UA that attracting customers has been difficult, but he hoped the new partnership with ZENRIN could pave the way for more opportunities in the APAC region.

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“Attracting customers has become more difficult. The size of the contracts has not changed, but there are fewer of them. This partnership will also allow us to be more recognizable on the market,” said Odukha.

Both Intellias and ZENRIN are active members of the Navigation Data Standard (NDS) association, a standardized format for automotive map navigation.

Intellias said its project portfolio included various automotive-related fields such as connectivity, infotainment systems, autonomous driving, eMobility and intelligent transportation, whereas ZENRIN boasted over 70 years of mapping experience in Japan.

As reported in December 2023, Ukraine’s information technology (IT) industry – consisting of companies such as Intellias – remained the country’s highest service export in 2023 despite Moscow’s ongoing invasion.

According to a report by Lviv IT Cluster, IT services represented 41.5 percent of the nation’s total exports and contributed 4.9 percent to its total gross domestic product (GDP) at $8 billion in 2023.

Recent data from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) showed that Ukraine’s IT exports in April amounted to $545 million, a slight decrease from March but still higher than April 2023.