Two More Satellites to Be Launched into Space by 2028: An Overview of the Activities of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry Presented to Prime Minister Pashinyan

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a meeting was held at the Ministry of High-Tech Industry to discuss the 2022 activity report of the agency. This was reported by the Information and Public Relations Department of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Ministers Mher Grigoryan and Hambardzum Matevosyan, Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, Deputy Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan, Director of the State Revenue Committee Romanos Petrosyan, officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, and the leadership team of the High-Tech Industry Ministry, along with other officials.

At the beginning of the discussion, Nikol Pashinyan stated, “We are summarizing the results of the activities of ministries and agencies for the year 2022 today in the Ministry of High-Tech Industry. Although the calendar year has not yet ended, we can effectively summarize the results, as what needs to happen in the coming month should already be planned and underway.”

Minister of High-Tech Industry Robert Khachatryan first summarized the ongoing and upcoming programs of the ministry, after which the floor was given to deputy ministers overseeing various sectors.

Next, discussions focused on Armenia's ranking according to the Global Innovation Index, highlighting both positive and negative indicators. Steps aimed at developing startups were presented, particularly the “From Idea to Business” program, through which grants are provided by the state to newly established companies that present the best projects, assisting them in their ongoing operations and market entry.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of implementing the program and instructed the responsible parties to take consistent steps to enhance its effectiveness, stressing the necessity of ensuring a high level of budget execution, raising public awareness about the program, and expanding the list of beneficiaries.

It was noted that the program aimed at returning 50% of the income tax on salaries to companies attracting new employees from the labor market is progressing well, with the state already disbursing 2.8 billion AMD.

It was reported that this year, several IT companies have attracted more than 700 medium and highly qualified employees through the University-Private Sector program. The budget for this program this year amounted to 231 million AMD, and it is expected to reach 311 million AMD in 2023.

Support has been provided for Armenian companies to participate in international forums, resulting in Armenian companies signing contracts worth 320 million AMD with international partners during the current year.

Next, the activities of Haypost were addressed, as well as efforts to improve the services provided to citizens and the establishment of new branches.

In the telecommunications sector, renovation works have begun on the reserve management center, which is still ongoing. Subsequently, ongoing efforts were discussed regarding the provision of digital television broadcasting, the establishment of a digital interactive television system, and the introduction of a base and mobile radiomonitoring system throughout Armenia.

It is planned to ensure broadband access and the availability of state digital services in 80% of the country’s settlements by 2026.

The Prime Minister was briefed on the steps being taken to develop the space sector. Emphasizing the fact of launching Armenia’s first strategic satellite in space this year, officials noted that the country plans to launch two more Armenian satellites by 2028.

In 2023, it is planned to establish a satellite control center and reception station in Armenia, the main functions of which will include satellite management and the acquisition of space photographs. For this purpose, the process of training specialists is already underway.

Nikol Pashinyan stressed the importance of taking consistent steps in this direction, asserting that the development of this sector will continue to be a focus of the government.

Next, projects and activities in areas such as the establishment of an Engineering City, the creation of a Supercomputing National Center, cybersecurity, and digitization were presented.

In concluding, the Prime Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to the consistent and ongoing development of the high-tech sector, telecommunications, and infrastructure, stating the necessity for the effective implementation of projects. Nikol Pashinyan instructed the responsible parties to present a “roadmap” for solving the issues raised during today’s meeting, with the aim of advancing and ensuring development in the mentioned areas.