Government Day at Sevan Startup Summit 2025: Innovative Governance in Agenda

On the initiative of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia, the "Government Day" event was held on July 25 within the framework of Sevan Startup Summit 2025, under the theme "Innovative Governance: Solutions for the Future." This one-day event served as a platform for advancing innovative ideas and fostering strategic dialogue, uniting government officials, tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to explore modern governance practices and Armenia’s evolving role in the global technological ecosystem.

President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan delivered opening remarks at the event. In his speech, the President emphasized the remarkable scale of what he witnessed that day. In fact, in his own assessment, it could not have been imagined in terms of scale.

“On behalf of the Prime Minister and my Government colleagues, I can assure you that the programs we are implementing and the future we envision are impossible without modern technological advancements. To what extent can the state participate and be useful? This is the most important question. Throughout history, the most compelling question in economic development has always been where the state should position itself. In today’s technological era, this question has become even more critical. The best solution lies in close cooperation between the state and the private sector,” the President noted.

Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry of the Republic of Armenia Ruben Simonyan delivered a keynote speech on the topic “Promoting Innovation: Launching the Armenian Technological Ecosystem.” Simonyan outlined the Government’s priorities in fostering a vibrant startup culture and highlighted the pivotal role of technological innovation in shaping Armenia’s future.

Deputy Minister Ruben Simonyan also outlined the Ministry’s comprehensive vision, presenting the core areas of focus, including the development of the high-tech industry, digital transformation, cybersecurity standards, telecommunications, and the long-term prospects for sectoral growth.

He highlighted the RA Government’s strategic priorities aimed at advancing the high-tech sector, building a robust technological ecosystem, and implementing state support programs alongside legislative reforms to promote innovation.

Simonyan placed particular emphasis on the role of technological events and public-private partnership initiatives as key enablers of sustainable, long-term development. He also presented the Ministry’s recent accomplishments and the sector’s progress, emphasizing Armenia’s expanding technological potential and growing international competitiveness.

A panel discussion titled “Promoting Innovation through Public-Private Partnership,” moderated by Bagrat Yengibaryan, Director of the Enterprise Incubator Foundation, brought together key stakeholders in the sector. Among the participants was Gevorg Mantashyan, First Deputy Minister of the RA Ministry of High-Tech Industry.

In his remarks, Mr. Mantashyan shared insights and approaches aimed at fostering public-private partnerships in the high-tech sector and enhancing the overall investment climate. He stressed the importance of creating a collaborative environment that ensures the active participation of the private sector in state-led initiatives. He also highlighted the need for simplified regulations, transparent mechanisms, and strong institutional support as essential conditions for the sustainable development of the investment ecosystem.

The First Deputy Minister also introduced the idea of potentially creating a unified platform under the Ministry, where the state would define strategic directions and objectives, while the private sector would actively participate in their implementation. According to the First Deputy Minister, such an approach would enable more coordinated and results-driven cooperation.

He emphasized that the public-private partnership (PPP) model is regarded as a key instrument for sectoral development. In his view, PPP plays a vital role in advancing technological progress, promoting the adoption of innovative solutions, and enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy.

Underscoring the importance of building an effective system of collaboration, Mr. Mantashyan reiterated that PPP remains a central component of state policy, as it drives innovation, technological advancement, and economic diversification.

The panel discussion also featured a distinguished lineup of speakers, including Sargis Hayotsyan, Chairman of the Higher Education and Science Committee of the RA Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Gohar Abajyan, CEO of the Investment Support Center Foundation; Sargis Karapetyan, technology entrepreneur and Director of the Armenian Enterprise for Technology and Innovation; Eduard Musayelyan, Executive Director of the Union of Employers of Information and Communication Technologies (UE ICT); and Arsen Arustamyan, Director of National Instruments Armenia. The panelists underscored the importance of long-term, mutually beneficial cooperation in shaping effective and sustainable business models.

The event also featured an award ceremony for the winners of the “AI4ALL | Code with Vibe” competition, celebrating youth engagement in artificial intelligence and programming.

In addition, the agenda included moderated discussions, TED-style talks, and campfire sessions, fostering open dialogue and the exchange of innovative ideas.

The panel discussion on “Technodiplomacy for the Future: Armenia – the Gateway to Regional Innovation” featured Vahan Kostanyan, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, and Bekor Papazyan, General Director of Development at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies. The session was moderated by Anahit Parzyan, Executive Director of the NORQ Technology Center.

As part of the program, TED Talk-style presentations were delivered under the theme “Promoting Innovation and Technological Leadership.” The speakers were Tigran Avinyan, Mayor of Yerevan; Eric de Muynck, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of Armenia; Hayk Chobanyan, Head of Strategic Development and Partner at Avenue Consulting Group; Narek Aslikyan, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Armenian Code Academy; and Artem Khozyainov, Vice President at Quantori.

Following this, Hakob Hakobyan, founder of Sevan Startup Summit and Startup Armenia, delivered a speech highlighting the significance of the Summit and underscoring the importance of the financial support provided by the RA Government this year. He noted that state support was particularly vital in shaping the content of the event and in fostering connections with international partners. Hakobyan emphasized that collaboration between the public and private sectors plays a key role in ensuring the sustainable, long-term development not only of individual startups but also of the broader innovation ecosystem.

The bonfire talk speakers included Nerses Yeritsyan, Director of the Information Systems Agency of Armenia Foundation; Gegham Gevorgyan, Chairman of the Competition Protection Commission; Rafael Gevorgyan, Deputy Chairman of the State Revenue Committee; Ashot Gabrielyan, Head of the Payment Services and Data Management Center of the Central Bank of Armenia; and Narine Kotikyan, Co-founder and Director of Spacetab Company.

At the conclusion of the event, RA Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry Ruben Simonyan delivered a closing speech, summarizing the key ideas and initiatives presented throughout the day. He emphasized that Government Day once again demonstrated the importance of cooperation between state institutions and the technological community. Simonyan noted that such platforms serve not only to address current challenges and opportunities but also to shape a forward-looking vision focused on deepening the culture of innovative governance. He urged participants to sustain the momentum of dialogue and continue joint efforts aimed at technological advancement and economic growth.

It is worth noting that this year, the Government of the Republic of Armenia allocated 200 million drams for the organization of Sevan Startup Summit 2025, a significant step toward strengthening the Armenian startup ecosystem and leveraging the potential of innovative enterprises for national economic development.