ArmInfo. One of the most significant and annual events in the field of engineering- "Engineering Week" has started in Armenia, which is dedicated to the development of applied engineering and scientific-production solutions in the country.
According to the press service of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, "Engineering Week", organized by the state department of high-tech industry in cooperation with the "Enterprise Incubator" Foundation (EIF) and the Engineering Association, is being held in the Engineering City (Yerevan), Vanadzor and Gyumri.
Forum participants will have the opportunity to get acquainted with modern technologies and trends designed for the development,
prototyping, validation and testing of the widest range of engineering applications - from electronic components to modern communications and devices in the millimeter wavelength range. The forum will also present the latest trends and modern approaches to parametric and functional testing. Particular attention will be paid to the development of custom systems and joint participation in research and development work.
During the opening of the event, former Minister of High-Tech Industry, and now Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia, Hakob Arshakyan, said that over the past few years, the engineering sector has made significant progress. In particular, in 2015, the turnover of the sphere was 60 billion drams, and the number of employees was 8 thousand, by the end of 2020, the turnover reached 200 billion, the number of jobs increased to 19 thousand. It is expected that in 2025 the turnover of the sector will reach 500 billion drams, and the staff - up to 35 thousand people. Such indicators, according to Arshakyan, were achieved thanks to the cooperation of the state and the private sector, and government policy.
According to him, a new bill will be presented in cooperation between the Ministry of High-Tech Industry and the National Assembly, which will determine the next stages of development and priorities in the technological sector. Arshakyan also said that legislative changes are expected in the near future, according to which specialists in demand will have the opportunity to apply online in a single window and, according to a simplified procedure, obtain the right to live and work in Armenia. In turn, the Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia Vahagn Khachatryan noted that according to the government program until 2050, engineering is defined as an important direction of the country's development. "There is no other way of Armenia's development. We create an environment in which entrepreneurs or programs implemented in the framework of cooperation between the state and the private sector must contribute to an increase in added value. In this case, we will have better quality work with high productivity, as a result of which we will be able to achieve the goals set out in the government's program for 2050>, the minister said.
Country Manager of the World Bank (WB) for Armenia Carolin Geginat , noted that she was impressed by the ICT and engineering sector in Armenia. She noted that, Armenian specialists create solutions and products based on the history of country's heritage with technical skills. At the same time, the WB Country Manager for Armenia added that there is a great demand in the world for the services that are produced in Armenia. On the other hand, she pointed to the high potential of the Diaspora and the government willing to invest in the sector and carry out technical experiments. "In this regard, it is easy enough for the World Bank to participate in all this, and this is the reason that we are involved in the work of the Engineering City," she said.
To recall, at a meeting on March 1, 2018, the Armenian government approved the concept of establishing the Engineering City and the schedule of events arising from the document. The goal of the program is to transform Armenia into a country that exports engineering and high-tech products and services to the global market, as well as into a regional hub of innovative solutions. An area of 3 hectares on the Bagrevand street was selected to establish the Engineering City. The program is planned to be implemented on the basis of a public-private partnership. The planned volume of investments will amount to $ 21.2 million, of which $ 10.5 million is co-financing from the state within the framework of the World Bank's "Promotion of Trade and Quality Infrastructure" credit program. National Instruments AM and a consortium of 14 joint stock companies invest the remainder part. The program is expected to become self-cost in its 4th year of operation. Within the framework of the project, it is planned to train and retrain 1,500 specialists in the field of engineering and high technologies. 2000 new workers will be created and 20 new enterprises in the field will be founded. It is also expected to increase the efficiency of companies by 40%, export volumes increased by 30%.