Head of Synopsys Armenia: IT sector accounts for 5.5% of Armenia`s  GDP, an indicator comparable to developed countries 

ArmInfo.The IT sector accounts for approximately 5.5% of Armenia's GDP, which is a relatively high  indicator, comparable to that of developed countries. This assessment of the local IT industry was provided by Hovik Musaelyan, the director of Synopsys Armenia, in an interview with the Shant TV channel.  Additionally, he characterized the industry with indicators such as the number of employees, which is approximately 40,000  people, and an annual growth rate of 25-30%.

Musaelyan mentioned another significant fact: "The average assessment  of various international indicators shows that each employee in the  IT sector in Armenia, considering the multiplier effect, generates an  additional 6-8 jobs in the service sector." He used Synopsys Armenia  as an example, which currently has 1,300 employees, but had even more  in the past, stating that the company,  "indirectly" contributed to  the creation of 15,000 additional jobs in the service sector during  its operations in Armenia

 Regarding the "brain drain" from Armenia, Musaelyan stated that in  the industry breakdown, if we consider the IT sector, and  specifically in the case of Synopsys Armenia in the field of design  and microcircuit development, such a phenomenon is almost  nonexistent. However, in the realm of programmers, it is more likely  to occur. This can be attributed to two factors. The first is the  difficulty to finding a suitable job in Armenia within your field of  expertise or, if found, it may be low paying. The second factor is  the geopolitical situation, which plays a significant role in  influencing the decision of highly qualified specialists to either  stay or leave the country, regardless of their field.  Regarding the  relocators who arrived in Armenia two years ago, he said that 70,000  of them (according to various estimates) were IT specialists. Today,  at best, less than half remain in Armenia. noted Musaelyan.  He explained   the reason for the departure of some of these specialists from  Armenia as follows: "I think that those who have been successful  during these two years are not thinking about leaving. At the same  time, I will note that being successful in the IT sphere is a rather  difficult task. I will give an example of startups - only one out of  10 succeeds." In terms of creating a favorable environment for the IT  sphere, he emphasized the necessity of creating tax breaks (as they  did in Georgia), which is already being discussed within the  government and is expected to produce positive results.