Encouraging Regional Cooperation through Information
Technology Conference Started in Yerevan
03-04-2009 16:05:00 | Armenia | Economy
Yerevan, April 3, Noyan Tapan. Encouraging Regional
Cooperation through Information Technology two day
conference started its work on April 2 in Yerevan.
Representatives of information and communication technology
spheres of Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey
participate in the conference. According to deputy minister of
economy Vahe Danielian, the conference is organized by the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in the
fringes of Armenian semi-annual Chairmanship. The main purpose
of the conference is to expand current cooperation and establish
new ties between representatives of ICT spheres of participating
countries, promote innovation sphere and assist to technological
advancement. The preliminary works have started a year ago.
According to Mr. Danielian, development of information technology
is regarded as an urgent topic world-wide and that was the main
incentive of organizing the conference. In addition, the
government of Armenia considers the success of country's IT
industry as a prerequisite for turning Armenia into an
excellence center. The government of Armenia considers
e-governance and information society, as well as, eLearning and
Secondary Schools Connectivity Networks (particularly, such
initiatives as «Computers for Everybody) as primary for
country's Information Technology Sphere. The government belives
that in future, IT and high technology spheres of the country can
become «big laboratories for the global market," told Danielian.
The conference is organized by the ministries of economy,
foreign affairs and Enterprise Incubator Foundation. According
to Bagrat Yengibarian, director of EIF, IT sphere in the world
has largely suffered from the global economic crisis. He
articulated the urgency of cooperation and exchange of good
practices in the sphere of information technology. In
particular, according to him, new approaches to IT would
enable other spheres of economy to release the consequences of
the crises by, for instance, cutting expenses. According to
Engibarian, Armenian IT companies, which have targeted proper
markets, have increased their jobs and turnovers. He emphasized
the importance of further penetration of the Armenian IT
companies into new markets. On a commission from prime minister
state bodies jointly with the private sector are elaborating new
ways of positioning of these companies on the new markets,
mentioned Mr. Yengibarian. According to his estimation, the
strongest competitive advantage of Armenia's IT sphere is its
intellectual power and comparatively cheap labor force.
Encouraging Regional Cooperation through Information Technology
Conference has the following sections. Impact of Crisis, IT
outsourcing, Trade Promotion, IT Policies of Countries,
"e-Society", "IT based Education", "Human Resource Development".