ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES AND MANAGEMENT IN THE IT SECTOR DURING WAR: RESPONSE, RELOCATION, AND RECOVERY

The article analyzes challenges and management strategies of Ukrainian IT companies in Russo-Ukrainian War period, using YouControl Market service data to investigate regional business relocation patterns, new enterprise registration dynamics, and organizational responses to security threats. Research shows that regions close to frontline experiencing IT professional outflow and business disruption, while western areas become new centers, attracting the relocated companies. The capital and central regions have reserved human resources potential despite slowed growth due to increased risks. The study compares organizational forms of IT enterprises, examining their crisis management approaches (as employee’s relocation) and administrative solutions for maintaining competitive advantages. The main analysis focuses on agile planning, human capital development, and business model diversification based on the company count metrics. The research demonstrates how effective management decisions help decrease losses, retain personnel, and establish an after-war recovery process. The research emphasizes adaptive strategies for operational continuity, including remote workflow optimization, enhanced cybersecurity, and organizational resilience development. Data analysis reveals regional disproportions in IT sector growth resilience, influenced by infrastructure quality, security conditions, and local policies. These factors enable businesses to maintain essential operations under unpredictable circumstances. The investigation explores business relocation impacts on labor markets, expertise transfer, and technological advancement. Despite wartime challenges, Ukraine's IT sector shows remarkable adaptability, particularly among smaller firms. However, due to infrastructure damage and population displacement, uneven resource distribution significantly affects frontline regions. The study provides recommendations for stakeholders, including relocation support programs, tax incentives for high-tech industries in safer regions, and public-private partnerships for infrastructure reconstruction. Findings highlight effective management's role in navigating wartime adversity while building a resilient IT sector prepared for post-conflict recovery.