Armenia center of attraction of regional technological potential;  20th DigiTec technology exhibition opened at Meridian Exhibition  Center

ArmInfo. DigiTec, the largest technology exhibition in the region, opened at the Meridian Exhibition Center. It is a significant event for both the Armenian  tech community and the country as a whole. The event is organized by  the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE).

In his welcoming remarks, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech  Industry of Armenia, noted that DigiTec is an opportunity to showcase  Armenia's technological achievements and successes in the tech sector  to the world and to outline future steps.  Hayrapetyan shared  important developments in the high-tech sector since last year's  DigiTec. Specifically, he noted that on December 4, 2024, a new  legislative package was adopted, providing for a seven-year program  to support the high-tech industry, under which the Armenian  government will allocate several hundred million dollars to assist  companies in the industry during this period. According to him,  another law was adopted in January 2025 aimed at improving customs  regulations for dual-use goods and goods not used for military  purposes. Hayrapetn noted that this should facilitate the development  of engineering companies.

Continuing his review of initiatives implemented in 2025 aimed at  developing the IT sector and high technology, he also mentioned the  strategic memorandum signed on August 8 in Washington between Armenia  and the United States, which aims to develop innovative partnerships  in artificial intelligence and semiconductors. According to the  minister, all this suggests that after the current Digitec, there  will be new energy and motivation for consistent progress.

In turn, Alexander Yesayan, President of the Union of Advanced  Technology Enterprises, stated that Armenia is currently at the  forefront of information technology development in the region. "I  remember the days when my brother and I founded our first company in  1999 and participated in the very first Digitec when it was first  founded. I remember how it seemed like just a dream back then: that  one day Digitec would bring together guests not only from Armenia but  from all over the world, from countries in our region. That it would  become more than just a platform for Armenian IT companies to present  their products, but an international platform where not only our  achievements but also the future of technology would be discussed,"  said Yesayan.

He emphasized that despite the significant successes achieved over  the past 25 years, we must not rest on our laurels. "We must move  forward, because with the development of artificial intelligence, the  IT industry is changing literally every day," he noted.

Frank Hess, Head of Cooperation at the EU Mission to Armenia, spoke  at the event. He shared his memories of attending DigiTec, his first  visit to Armenia four years ago. "Back then, the event was  significantly different from what I see today. Now the exhibition has  become larger in scale, both in terms of organization and content. I  believe DigiTec has become the most important event in the field of  technology and digital solutions not only in Armenia but in the  entire region. This is undoubtedly a great achievement," he said. It  is worth noting that over the course of three days, DigiTec will  bring together technology leaders, visionaries, and innovators from  around the world and will be held this year in a "technology  exhibition + international conference + festival" format.

The top ten speakers include Rev Lebaredyan (USA), Vice President of  NVIDIA, Omniverse; Jack McCauley (USA), Co-Founder of Oculus,  Professor at the University of California, Berkeley; Noubar Afeyan  (USA), Co-Founder and President of Moderna, Founder and Director of  Flagship Pioneering; Lauri Antalaiinen (Estonia), President and  Member of the Board of the EstBAN Business Angel Network; Niall  Tellon (Ireland), Director of Imagine Communications Group; Alexander  Yesayan (Armenia), Co-Founder of Firebird.ai, Intent.ai, President of  the Union of Advanced Technology Companies UATE; Hovik Torkomyan  (Netherlands), Founder of 36 Growth Marketing; Raffi Chakmakchian  (Canada), Advisor to the Boards of Directors of Draft & Goal and  Humanize, Inc.; Bahrom Ibrahimov (UK), Head of Molten East; Arman  Obosyan (Georgia), Director of Skytel.

DigiTec is expected to break all previous records this year, with  30,000-40,000 visitors expected.

As a reminder, DigiTec's history began in 2005. Its inspiration came  from the late Karen Vardanyan, the undisputed leader of the Armenian  tech community and longtime director of UATE.

It's also worth noting that, according to Armenian statistics,  revenue in Armenia's information technology (IT) sector amounted to  298.4 billion drams in the first half of 2025, a 25.6% increase from  the same period last year.