As part of the Eurosatory 2026 international exhibition, the Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, delivered a keynote closing address titled "Defence Industrial Cooperation: Supply Chains, Talents, and the Role of Small States." In his speech, the Minister outlined Armenia's conceptual approaches to developing its military-industrial complex, emphasizing that in the era of artificial intelligence and rapid technological advancement, small countries can remain highly competitive through agility, adaptability, and targeted investments.

Minister Hayrapetyan noted that artificial intelligence is swiftly becoming a foundational technology in modern defense systems. However, he stressed that technology alone is not enough; the ultimate competitive advantage continues to reside in human capital. In this context, the Minister highlighted that Armenia is investing heavily in engineering education, startup development, research institutes, and strategic partnerships with global tech leaders. The goal is clear: to foster an ecosystem where talents can thrive, innovate, and scale products that simultaneously drive economic growth and enhance national security.

Reflecting on recent achievements, the Minister stated that Armenia’s military-industrial sector has experienced a qualitative leap over the past four to five years. Through the state procurement system, 172 billion AMD has been injected into the industry, with a recent decision finalized to sign new long-term contracts worth an additional 190 billion AMD. As a direct result of this policy, the sector’s turnover within the domestic economy has reached approximately 70 billion AMD, and Armenian defense products are already being exported to international markets.

Furthermore, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan emphasized that the future belongs not to isolated industrial bases, but to interconnected ecosystems capable of co-paving the way for breakthrough innovations. He firmly believes that innovative ecosystems thrive when startups can rapidly test, fail, learn, and iterate. Consequently, the government is sparing no effort to streamline testing procedures and expand access to real-world operational environments.

To succeed in this global competition, Armenia is actively developing its vision of the "AI Factory Garden." This initiative allows Armenian defense companies to perform complex engineering simulations and critical testing, backed by state-provided computing resources and core infrastructure.

The Minister underlined Armenia's readiness to foster international collaborations, noting that the Government of Armenia is taking consistent steps to streamline export licensing procedures. This will ensure seamless integration of Armenian technological solutions into global supply chains. He emphasized that Armenia is transitioning from being a mere consumer to becoming a reliable partner that offers high-tech outputs to the world—where scientific potential, energy capabilities, and computational power unitedly serve national security and technological progress.

՛՛Together, we can build supply chains that are more resilient. We can develop technologies that are more effective.And we can create a defense industrial ecosystem that is stronger because it draws on the capabilities of nations both large and small՛՛, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan concluded.