Georgia Digital Transformation Forum explores economy and IT development

Representatives of government, business, consultancy and academic organisations gathered to discuss Georgia’s economy and IT sector prospects at the 2023 Digital Transformation Forum in Tbilisi. The four-day event opened on 26 June 2023, organised by the Georgian ICT Cluster with the support of the USAID Economic Security Program.

This was the second Digital Transformation Forum event to be held in Georgia. As part of the country’s digital transformation process, the event aims to engage all stakeholders in the strategic planning and implementation of the country’s digital transformation agenda and ensure positioning of the country in the global economy.

The forum provides a platform for discussion of the latest technological trends, challenges and possibilities of the digital transformation of the Georgian economy for public and private sectors, academia and civil society. The event also includes professional capacity building activities aimed at the development of sectoral skills organisations. With around 300 people, the number of participants significantly increased since the previous event, as a result of intensive cooperation between the Georgian ICT Cluster and local and international institutions and organisations. 

“Inclusive digital transformation means ensuring equal access to the benefits and opportunities that digital technologies bring to all segments of society,” Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Irakli Nadareishvili said during the event. “It gives us the opportunity to take advantage of the potential of the Georgian innovation ecosystem and ensure sustainable economic growth.” 

The Georgian innovation ecosystem should be opened to facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas among various stakeholders, according to the deputy minister. The priority of the Georgian government is to shift more emphasis to developing the digital ecosystem in the regions. This way, more people can benefit from government digital services, such as blockchain-based land registration, remote services related to business, electronic tax procedures and others. 

Georgia is creating an environment for the start-ups of the future and preparing individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary for a digital age full of challenges and opportunities, Irakli Nadareishvili said. About 250 start-ups funded by the grant programmes of Georgia’s Agency for Innovation and Technology have already succeeded in attracting more than 300 million private investments.

Further information

For more details about this event, its partners and organisers, see the SP News article or visit the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia website.