Armenia’s high technology industry grows 22-25 percent a year, Serzh Sargsyan says

YEREVAN, September 27. / ARKA /. Speaking at the opening of the 7th ArmTech 2014 congress that opened yesterday in New York, Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan said that in recent years Armenia has made substantial progress in the sphere of high technologies and has sustained an average 22-25 percent annual growth. 

“Over the last years the volume of exports and investments has increased leading to geographical expansion and 60 percent export growth. There are more than 380 actively-operating organizations as a result of which working force grows 10 percent annually. Today that sphere embraces around 11000 specialists which is not a small number for Armenia. There is also considerable progress in influx of transitional organizations to Armenia which is testified by the presence of our international partners at ArmTech Congress,” he said.

“Armenia is committed to continuously supporting sustainable development in the sphere of information technology and knowledge-based economy in general. With that end in view, we have established a RA Presidential Award for Outstanding Contribution to Humanity through IT in 2009. The award is annual and is conferred to people who have made an exceptional contribution to the sphere. For example, last year the award was conferred to President of Techno Vision and Chairman of Semiconductor Industry Association, former Hitachi CEO Tsugio Makimoto. This year the award was handed to Cisco Systems Chief Development Officer Mario Mazzola,” he said.

“In the last 5 years the sphere of information technology has recorded a qualitative growth: Armenian companies have shifted their outsourcing orientation growing into organizations carrying out researches and development activities and offering complex engineering solutions. Armenian IT products, including those of startup companies are acquired by foreign organizations which stimulates Armenia’s attractiveness.

I am proud to state that today solutions developed by Armenian specialists are widely used by numerous organizations in different countries of the world. For example, various micro schemes are made in Armenia, countless leading banks have employed systems developed in Armenia, our specialists’ most complex and comprehensive engineering solutions are installed in management systems of oil-wells, gas mains, underground and overground transport in a number of countries, and this list is not complete.

For this reason a series of transnational organizations have established their research and innovation centers in Armenia. I would like to highlight particularly Microsoft Innovation Center Armenia, the regional offices of National Instruments, IBM, Oracle and D-Link which pay close attention to training of qualified IT specialties in Armenia, establishment of startup organizations and application of technologies in different economic spheres thereby raising the economic competitiveness of our country. It is gratifying that the mentioned centers are the biggest, but not the only, regional centers which gives Armenia ample opportunities to hold a leading position on the global technological map.

Of course, the cooperation with the Diaspora and the use of its potential in building Armenia’s technological future are one of the vital stimuli to develop the sphere of information technology in our country. I am sure that owing to our public policy in this sphere and the active support of our compatriots we will manage to ensure technological immigration to Armenia. Concluding my speech, I wish the forum meaningful and fruitful work and I am confident that, as always, it will mark establishment of new business ties and outline of new projects.” 

Conceived under the theme of “Learning from the past and inventing the future” and held under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the event it is dedicated to further the success of Armenia’s high-tech industry in a dynamic global free-market economy.

Every year ArmTech Congress attracts an outstanding group of industry professionals, high-level executives and interested parties from all over the world who get together to improve communications and cooperation with and within the Armenian high-tech industry. The event focuses on Armenia’s current and future successful participation in a dynamic global economy with emphasis on its high-tech industry and related businesses. 

ArmTech Congress provides an unmatched opportunity to obtain business and professional information, and to connect with top industry representatives, government officials, major players in the financial and services sectors, and leading academics from Armenia, the US, Russia, European Union, CIS countries, the MENA region, South-East Asia to strengthen cooperation and identify new partnership and investment opportunities.

ArmTech Congress is organized by the Enterprises Incubator Foundation together with the ministry of economy of Armenia and with the assistance of public and private organizations. It is  held alternately in the USA and in Armenia. The first congress was held July 4-7, 2007 in San Francisco. The latest in 2013 in Yerevan. 

Armenia’s IT sector accounts for 3.8 percent of its  GDP with an annual turnover of $380 million. Under an IT development strategy it is to surge to $1 billion by 2018. -0-