In the Shadow of War, Armenia Tries to Make Its Economy Indispensable
Published on October 22, 2024
With an “Armenia wassup!” and rakish shimmy, Floridian pop sensation Jason Derulo opened the 2024 World Congress on Innovation & Technology (WCIT) in Yerevan on Oct. 4. “The biggest party in the world is right here in Armenia tonight!” Derulo told revelers in the capital’s Republic Square, before launching into his global hit “Dirty Talk” flanked by leather-clad, twerking dancers.
It was perhaps a curious way to welcome some 3,000 delegates from 80 countries to bat around technology topics under the banner, “The Power of Mind: AI Beyond Limits, Within Ethics.” Panels included discussions on aerospace design, social media optimization, and cybersecurity. A diverse roster of speakers featured former MGM CEO Alex Yemenidjian and Rodrigo Messi, brother and business manager of soccer superstar and TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year, Lionel. Elon Musk sent a congratulatory message. (Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was due to attend before the French Police intervened.)
Yet if Derulo’s grandstanding was somewhat incongruous with the thorny tech debates that followed, few could begrudge Armenia for relishing its moment in the spotlight. It was, in fact, the second time Armenia has hosted WCIT in the past five years, underscoring how this landlocked democracy of 3 million is recasting itself as a global technology hub. Perched at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Armenia has revamped its education curriculum to provide a steady stream of STEM talent and offered tax breaks to multinationals setting up local operations. An illustrious roster has taken the bait, including Amazon, Google, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, Broadcom, and Nvidia.