Tag Archives: technology

Georgia opens Tech Park in bid to create Silicon Valley of S.Caucasus

TBILISI, JAN. 14 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — In a push to build the Silicon Valley of the South Caucasus, Georgia opened its new Tech Park in Tbilisi.

The project, backed by the government, aims to support young innovative entrepreneurs by offering free office and workshop space for three months and access to what has been dubbed the “Fab Lab” with the latest cutting-edge tech tools such as 3D printers and a laser cutter.

Georgian PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili said that developing the country’s entrepreneurial base was key to helping Georgia through its current economic slump.

“This is a direct investment in the future of Georgia,” media quoted Mr Kvirikashvili as saying at the opening of the site.

Tech Park, which covers roughly the area of two football pitches, took one year to build and cost 5m lari ($2m).

The concept behind Tech Park Georgia is that well-worn idea of casual interaction where employees from different companies, back- grounds and disciplines can mingle easily in learning centres, company offices, shared spaces and recreational areas.

Mariam Lashkhi of the Georgian government’s Innovation and Technology Agency explained.

“We first had to build the community, so we held hackathons, to see who is out there and to bring people together. We were amazed with the projects the young people came up with. Several startups were created after the hackathons, which are now joining the Tech Park,” she said.

Boris Kiknadze has just moved his two companies, the charity crowd- funding platform WeHelp and the online advertising firm and Wifisher, to the Tech Park.

“I really like that it brings together a collective of people, programmers, developers, business managers,” he said.

“And it’s a really nice place to hang out, where you can create new things, and build a better future.”

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 263, published on Jan. 15 2016)

Arianespace sends Azerbaijan’s satellite

DEC. 1 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — Arianespace, the French launch service provider, will send Azerbaijan’s second satellite into space from its launch site in French Guiana, Elmir Velizade, deputy minister of communications, said at a press conference. The national space agency Azercosmos launched its first satellite with Arianespace in 2013. The new Azerspace-2/Intelsat 38 satellite will be put into orbit in 2017.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 259, published on Dec. 4 2015)

Uzbek President signs investment programme

NOV. 18 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Official media in Uzbekistan reported that President Islam Karimov has signed a resolution to begin a $16.6 investment programme running in 2016 and 2017. The main focus of the programme is to upgrade and modernise the country’s technology and energy sectors. Projects include part of a gas pipeline to China and the construction of both a petro-chemical plant and a thermal power station.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 257, published on Nov. 20 2015)

Microsoft launches programme in Armenia

OCT. 23 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — US’ Microsoft launched a new so- called acceleration programme for start-up companies at its Innovation Centre in Armenia. People working on 14 new projects selected for the programme will receive in- depth training in California, Australia and Russia. Armenia has been looking to attract increased investment from tech start-ups over the past few years and has brokered various deals with Microsoft.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 254, published on Oct. 30 2015)

Georgia bets on Bitcoins

SEPT. 25 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — BitFury, a company linked closely to Bitcoin, will build the first Technology Park in Georgia and has pledged to invest $100m in the project (Sept. 24). The Park is being built in Gldani a district of Tbilisi. BitFury provides technological infrastructure for Blockchain, the virtual wallet for the Bitcoin payment network. It already operates a data centre in Gori, 70km west of Tbilisi.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 249, published on Sept. 25 2015)

Turkmenistan wants electronics

MAY 29 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Apparently not content with a booming gas industry, Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said that he wanted to develop an electronics industry. Mr Berdymukhamedov has been keen to push Turkmen industry.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 234, published on June 4 2015)

Georgia PM says wants 100% internet coverage

MARCH 26 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Keen to boost the government’s progressive credentials, Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili said he wanted the entire country to have access to high-speed internet by 2017. Currently around 40% of the country has high-speed internet, he said.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 225, published on April 12015)

Georgia signs Microsoft deal

MARCH 5 2015 (The Bulletin) – After years of pirating software, Georgia’s government signed a deal with Microsoft to officially licence its operating system and other products, signalling its desire to promote its IT sector.

According to a 2013 study by the Business Software Alliance, a US-based industry lobby group, Georgia had the highest global software piracy rate. Around 90% of all the software installed in the country was unlicensed, including the government’s software.

Giga Paitchadze, IT expert and well known blogger, said this was a step towards professionalising Georgia’s image.

“Using licensed software on a state level will have a spill over effect on Georgian society, it will be a soft recommendation to respect other people’s work,” he said. “Just as our own intellectual property, patents, and products, need to be protected around the world as well.”

The license agreement is expected to have a positive effect on the Georgian IT sector. In the past few years, IT has been a major focus point of both the current and the previous government to be more competitive globally.

The government has estimated that the deal with Microsoft will cost around $8m to buy all state agencies with the latest versions of Microsoft’s operating systems.
ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 222, published on March 11 2015)

Microsoft praised Armenia’s tech

NOV. 10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – On a trip to Yerevan, US software company Microsoft praised Armenia’s drive to boost its tech sector. Mark Day, a senior official at Microsoft, described Armenia’s tech sector as reaching a “world level”. Armenia has highlighted technology as an area it can attract foreign investment.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 208, published on Nov.12 2014)

Russian rocket crashes in Kazakhstan

MARCH 28 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) — A Russian weather rocket crashed near a village in western Kazakhstan, media reported. There were no casualties. The Kazakh authorities banned further Russian rocket launches over its territory.

(News report from Issue No. 178, published on April 2 2014)