The IT landscape in Armenia has undergone significant changes over the past year, with a number of new research and educational initiatives launched and new companies opening. In addition, active work is underway to build an Engineering City and negotiations are underway to build a future Industrial City. Bagrat Yengibaryan, director of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF), said in an interview with NEWS.am Tech.

According to him, a new initiative called the Center for Advanced Research was recently launched in Armenia, where, among other things, they will work on chip (semiconductor) design and manufacturing concepts. Research labs were also opened in five areas, including cybersecurity, driverless cars, and smart manufacturing.

“We have already started research projects on possible technologies that will appear in 30 years,” Yengibaryan noted.

He also attributes the opening and launch of the Charles Aznavour National Supercomputer Center of Armenia in the Engineering City to the achievements of recent months, which creates the latest infrastructure that makes it possible to conduct research and calculations in the fields of industry, education and science. In general, the number of buildings and structures in the Engineering City, according to Yengibaryan, is growing at a tremendous speed.

As for the Industrial City, where it will be possible to organize production within the framework of projects developed in the Engineering City, negotiations are currently underway with the government and various donors. In addition to other issues, there is also the problem of the land plot that will need to be acquired next to the Engineering City.

Development of technologies in regions

As part of the Silicon Mountains Shirak technology summit, Bagrat Yengibaryan took part in a discussion dedicated to the topic of investments in the regions.

Talking to NEWS.am Tech, he noted that, given the limited resources of our country, he believes that regional development is one of the most important tasks. However, how to do this is a rather complex issue that needs to be figured out.

“Our regions are very different. For example, Ashtarak and Kapan are very different cities. Kapan, for example, is located on the border, and there are security issues there. In order to understand how to develop regions, we must first understand what prospects and financial opportunities they have. In particular, we are discussing the possibility of creating a technology center in Kapan. Considering the experience of Gyumri and Vanadzor, I am sure that we will definitely succeed in Kapan,” Yengibaryan noted.

The decision-making process about where and what to develop must, he says, be based on a deep understanding of local needs, opportunities and interests. Initiatives based on competent partnerships have been the most successful over the past 20 years.

Speaking about the current opportunities for education and employment in the regions of Armenia, the EIF Director noted that in the post-COVID period, these opportunities have actually increased, as many have switched to online learning and remote work. This transformation has changed the form of education and employment, allowing for significant learning outcomes in a shorter time, including through the use of artificial intelligence. The role of teachers has also changed – from people transmitting information, they have become moderators.

According to Yengibaryan, all opportunities are being created to ensure that young people have to come to Yerevan to study or work as little as possible – they should have access to up-to-date information and resources in their hometowns, and they should have the opportunity to enjoy a higher quality of life in their regions while working remotely.

The Silicon Mountains Shirak forum was held on July 4 in Gyumri. The event was organized by UEICT with the support of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of Armenia. The Platinum Partner of the forum is Unicomp, the Fintech Partner is EasyPay, the Tech Partner is Ucom, the Silver Partners are Synopsys Armenia and Ovio. The Regional and Youth Representation Partner is the Gyumri Technology Center implemented by the Enterprise Incubator Foundation, and the media partner is NEWS.am Tech.

Source: https://tech.news.am/