Economy
During the Soviet Union times Kharkiv was the capital of industrial production in Ukraine and one of the largest centers of industry and commerce in the USSR. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the largely defense-systems-oriented industrial production of the city decreased significantly. In the early 2000s the industry started to recover and adapt to civil economy needs. Now there are more than 380 industrial enterprises concentrated in the city, which have a total number of 150,000 employees. The enterprises form machine-building, electrotechnical, instrument-making, and energy clusters.
State-owned industrial giants, such as Turboatom and Elektrotyazhmash occupy 17% of the heavy power equipment construction (e.g., turbines) market worldwide. Multipurpose aircraft are produced by Kharkov aircraft manufacturing plant of Antonov. Malyshev factory produces today not only armoured fighting vehicles, but also harvesters. Hartron is the leading designer of space and commercial control systems in Ukraine and the CIS.