Less than 10 days to register for WCIT 2019 Lightning Rounds
11:21, 21 August, 2019
YEREVAN, AUGUST 21, ARMENPRESS. (Press Release) This year marks the first time WCIT will host “Lightning Rounds” in its 40 year history. Entrepreneurs will have a unique opportunity to showcase their startup ideas and technological innovations before a plenary audience composed of other tech startups, entrepreneurs, large tech companies, universities, and other attendees. Presenters from across the globe will be selected by an international jury of technologists, venture capitalists and ICT experts and practitioners, from a pool of applicants from around the world and provided with 3 minutes to present their new ideas or innovative technologies. The lightning Rounds will be split into 3 sets. Judges will choose presentations which demonstrate not just innovation but the potential for global applicability and impact. The most promising of these startups will be awarded the "Armenian Technology Communities A-Prize" and $100,000 on behalf of the entire technology community of Armenia.
The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2019), one of the largest and most prestigious ICT events in the world, will be held in Yerevan this year from October 6-9. The three-day congress will gather over 2500 participants from around 70 countries: information and communication technology leaders, CEOs and investors, policy makers and government officials, academics, and technologists. This year’s theme is The Power of Decentralization: Promise and Peril.
“We want global solutions that will impact the world. A major criteria for startups is that ideas presented should have global applications, and make the world a better place to live. Selected startups will have a unique opportunity to present their ideas in front of 3-4 thousand people,” explains Emma Arakelyan, WCIT 2019 Content Committee Member.
The Government of Armenia has declared IT a strategic area of focus. The country's legislation fosters favorable conditions for foreign direct investments in the tech sector. Furthermore, consistent efforts are being made to promote the development of high-tech innovations, cultivate ecosystems, and accelerate startups in the industry. The ICT sector represents 7 percent of the national GDP. Over 45 percent of the industry exports go to the USA and Canada, 25 percent to Europe, 11 percent to Asia. Over 900 ICT companies call Armenia home, including globally recognized Picsart, Renderforest, Softconstruct, Joomag, etc.
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WCIT 2019 will be held in Yerevan on October 6-9, 2019. The Congress is hosted by Armenia with the support and under the high patronage of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) was established by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA). Its main organizing body is the Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises (UATE).