ArmInfo. Silicon Mountains 2026 will once again bring together leading technology experts, representatives of the public and private sectors, international organizations, and educational institutions under one roof in Yerevan.
This year's event will take place on June 3-4 at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex with the support of the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine. The organizer is the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). 2026 will be exceptional, as the event will be held in a format of an exhibition and forum.
During a press conference on May 20, Eduard Musaelyan, Executive Director of the Union of ICT Employers, noted that since its launch in 2019, Silicon Mountains has been a small-scale event, bringing together technology leaders and engaging speakers. Today, it is a large-scale event, attended by over a thousand participants annually. He added that this year's event focuses on specific areas – RISE (R&D, Innovation, Science, Engineering).
The exhibition will feature a forum with three panel discussion: defense industry, engineering solutions, and cybersecurity. Speakers will include representatives of local and multinational companies establishing research and development centers in Armenia.
More than 40 companies will participate in the exhibition, presenting defense systems and engineering products, as well as approaches to engaging young professionals in these fields. Specifically, training and practical exercises are planned, where participants will be able to, for example, learn how to fly drones and hone their skills. In addition, as Musaelyan noted, the event will feature panel discussions, as well as the traditional B2B platform for business meetings aimed at establishing new business connections and concluding contracts.
Armen Baldryan, Chairman of the ICT Employers' Union, noted that Armenian R&D offices of large companies and small startups primarily work for the global IT industry. "One of our main goals is to facilitate the development of a fully-fledged Armenian product. There is no alternative in this process: companies must collaborate with each other, as small companies are incapable of independently creating serious products. Through cooperation and unification, we can become a country exporting technological solutions and domestically produced products in just a few years," Baldryan said.
He emphasized that by developing the RISE concept in collaboration with the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, positive results can be achieved. "We want local companies to collaborate, create joint products, and complete the full cycle from science and innovation to production. This will allow us to create fully- fledged Armenian products, increase the competitiveness of the economy, and strengthen the country's defense capabilities," Baldryan noted. Armenian Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan added that the government will support the event with a 60 million AMD grant for organizational expenses. "Why is this important for the government? In recent years, we have been talking about how Armenia has positioned itself as a technological powerhouse in the region. And while the successes achieved are significant, the time has come to transition from a country providing technological services to one that creates, manufactures, and exports its own products. This is our strategic goal and vision," he said.
The minister also spoke about achievements in engineering and defense production, made possible thanks to the industry being recognition as a strategic priority. Following the successful completion of the 2023- 2025 three-year programs in the military-industrial complex, Hayrapetyan stated that the time has come to create a platform for presenting the products of engineering and defense companies on the global stage, opening new avenues for export.
