"Armenia is uniting the region around a new AI hub," — Edita Kazarjan on how the country is building an AI ecosystem

Edita Kazaryan, city — Yerevan, Executive Director of the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE)

About Me

I studied at the Faculty of International Relations in Yerevan, and then at the American University of Armenia. I have always enjoyed talking about Armenia in different countries, and this passion has largely shaped my path.

I worked in several technology companies, and then for several years served as Deputy Director of UATE. This year, I took over as the head of the association.

About UATE

UATE, Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises, is Armenia’s technology association. We represent the interests of 300 IT companies in the country. Our main goal is to develop the technology sector and help companies enter new markets. Our global mission is to make Armenia a technological powerhouse that creates maximum value.

The association has several key areas of focus. The first is policy making. We participate in the development of reforms, work in relevant committees, and promote solutions at the state level that help the sector grow.

The second is international relations. We build relationships with various countries and their technology ecosystems. For example, we have recently arrived in Kazakhstan with a large Armenian delegation: UATE organized the trip for several companies to present Armenian technology products and services. We also host delegations ourselves, most notably during Digitec.

The third is talent development. The association has created several educational programs, including Armath. Today, 17,000 children across all regions of Armenia are studying through this program. We have 643 Armath engineering labs where children learn programming, 3D modeling, and robotics for free.

About Armenia’s Technology Ecosystem

The Armenian ecosystem is quite dynamic. We already have two unicorns—the only ones in our region—and the startup ecosystem is among the fastest-growing in the world.

Technology giants are opening their R&D centers in Armenia because of the strong talent pool. Siemens, AMD, NVIDIA, Synopsys, and other major companies have large research centers in Yerevan. This confirms that the country has strong specialists.

Another important factor is computing power. Thanks to the Firebird project, Armenia ranks in the top 10 countries globally in terms of GPU availability. We are a small country, but with big ambitions. To create large international companies and startups, two things are needed: compute and talent. Armenia has both.

A strong talent base is largely linked to the physics and mathematics school, which has been preserved since the post-Soviet era. Another important factor is the diaspora. Armenians can be found in high positions in almost any major technology company in the world, and these connections help us. For example, NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebardeyan, who was a headliner at Digital Bridge, is a representative of the Armenian diaspora, and he does a lot for the ecosystem. Such people see the country’s potential and help develop it.

Additionally, we have a network of mutual support. Within the community, people help each other rather than compete. I believe this is our unique characteristic.

About DigiTec 2026

DigiTec is our flagship event and the largest technology event in the region. Last year, it attracted over 30,000 visitors. This year, it will take place from November 20–22 in Yerevan. We expect delegations from more than 60 countries and between 7,000 and 10,000 international guests.

The exhibition will feature country pavilions from Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Most venture capital funds will also be non-Armenian: VC representatives will fly in from the US, Europe, and the MENA region—Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar. In terms of format, DigiTec is similar to Digital Bridge, so it will be comfortable and interesting for Kazakh participants. For startups, this is an opportunity to find investors and partners for collaborations.

Our goal is to make DigiTec the leading AI event in the region, and this year everything is dedicated to artificial intelligence. The general sponsors are NVIDIA and Firebird, and partners also include Krisp, one of the most well-known Armenian companies.

The conference program is built on the model of an “AI five-layer cake”: we start with energy, then discuss infrastructure, chips, and computing power, and finish with AI models and applications. In other words, we break down all the layers that make up artificial intelligence.

About 100 international high-level speakers have already confirmed their participation. Among them are top managers and representatives from NVIDIA, OpenAI, Dell Technologies, Microchip, Revolut, and Mozilla, Oculus VR co-founder Jack McCaulley, and founders of companies in the field of Physical AI, such as FieldAI. A large delegation from OpenAI’s leadership will also attend. Founders of unicorns from Central Asia will also be present. In addition to the main program, there will be presentations, a startup competition, the ArmRobotics robotics competition, and other events.

Relationships are built at such events. I see great potential for strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Armenia. Our countries are different: you are a large country, we are small. But we have similar priorities—both countries are actively developing the technology sector.

This partnership needs to be developed, including through delegations at key events. It is important to visit each other, see everything with your own eyes, and then cooperation will naturally take shape.