The 2nd StrategEast State and IT Eurasian Forum started on September, 15th in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the forum is being held in a mixed online-offline format. Some of the guests speak from the conference hall of the Radisson Blu Iveria hotel in Tbilisi, and those residing outside of Georgia, join the discussions online.
“When they say that the world will never be the same after the pandemic, be sure that the world will turn digital,” said Anatoly Motkin, President at StrategEast. In his opening remarks, Mr. Motkin has also highlighted the latest trends in IT industry development in Eurasia, primarily the digital transformation that the public sector is undergoing and the use of open data. The Georgian participants were particularly interested to hear about the StrategEast IT HUB educational center in Tbilisi, the first graduates of which will get a job offer in a new IT profession in a month.
The top story of the forum’s first day was EPAM Systems starting operations in Georgia. The statement was made by Arkadiy Dobkin, Founder and President at EPAM Systems, who said that this global IT company would start operations in Georgia already next month.
The opening of the EPAM Systems office is an important signal that the Georgian ecosystem is ready to become part of the global industry. “The presence of our company gives a significant impetus to the development of the entire IT industry in the country”, said Mr. Dobkin. According to him, EPAM Systems will be able to bring to Georgia not only its quarter-century expertise but, possibly, new investors in the local IT industry represented by its clients.
Dr. Kaush Arha, Senior Adviser for Strategic Engagement to USAID Administrator, in his welcoming speech, noted the importance of digital infrastructure for Eurasia. “Digitalization leads not only to economic but also to political prosperity, transparency, security, trusted networks, individual liberties, and economic opportunities,” explained Dr. Arha. He thanked the World Bank, EBRD, European Union and other Western partners of Eurasia who are contributing to the development of digital infrastructure.
Professor Beata Javorcik, Chief Economist, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, a keynote speaker at the forum, spoke about the role of labor markets in technological transformation of the developing countries.
Within the second day of the forum, on September 16th, the event will assemble 12 discussion panels on various topics, including digital transformation of states, IT education, digital resilience, investment in startups, the role of global development agencies in Eurasia and others.
