9:00-9:20

Participants registration & Welcome coffee

9:20-9:30

Welcome remarks

09:30-10:50

Future Tech and Service Labor Market in Eurasia: From Brain Drain to Brain Gain

The economy across Eurasian countries faces a critical shortage of qualified specialists, particularly in the tech and service sectors, exacerbated by brain drain as professionals migrate West. This session will explore strategies to enhance skills development, create career development opportunities, retain local talent, and engage the diaspora. Additionally, we will address the impact of AI on the workforce market in the region.

Moderator – Catalina Plinschi, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization

Speakers: Irina Stamatovic, Project Coordinator in Help, implementing partner of Helvetas in RECONOMY, Eugenia Danu, President of ABSL Moldova, Executive Director of DOPOMOGA GROUP in Moldova, Vasile Putina, Chief Technology officer at Pentalog, Vice President of Technology at Globant, Pavel Liber, CEO of Nations Digital Platform

11:00- 11:50

Trustworthy AI: Global and Regional Outlook

As AI technologies continue to advance, ensuring trustworthiness becomes paramount to address concerns related to application and use of AI, transparency, privacy, and accountability. Panelists will discuss the principles, frameworks, and practices that underpin Trustworthy AI, aiming to strike a balance between innovation and ethical responsibility. What are the strategies to ensure AI application is efficient but transparent and accountable?

Moderator – Alexandru Gozun, Director of PWC Moldova

Speakers: Irina Buzu, Advisor to the Deputy Prime-Minister, Minister for Economic Development and Digitalisation of Moldova, Salome Khachiauri-Soltau, Head of the Grants Department and working on establishing The Ai Excellence Centre at Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency,  Olena Andriienko, Member of the Expert Advisory Committee on the Development of AI at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Chief Legal Tech Officer of Publicis Groupe Ukraine

12:00-12:50

Opportunities for Global IT Companies in Central Asia

Supported by USAID FGI Program 

This panel features representatives from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, including the High Technology Park of Kyrgyzstan, Astana Hub and Business Incubator of Tajikistan. They will join the Moldova Innovation Technology Park to discuss attracting European tech firms to Central Asia, exploring investment opportunities, and fostering regional growth, all while also touching upon collaboration between Central Asia and Moldova. The panel aims to stimulate collaboration between Central Asian IT hubs and Moldova, driving regional economic growth through ICT. 

Moderator – Marina Bzovii, Administrator of Moldova Innovation Technology Park

Speakers: Chubak Temirov, Deputy Director of High Technology Park of Kyrgyzstan, Umedjon Komilov, Head of International Department at the State Enterprise Institution “Business Incubator of Tajikistan”, Daniyar Zhumagulov, Director of Technological Centers Office, Astana Hub

12:50-14:00

Lunch

14:00-14:50

Navigating IT Investment and Startup Acceleration in Eurasia

​​This panel discussion explores the evolving IT investment landscape in Eurasia, focusing on the strategies and challenges faced by both investment funds and startups. We’ll examine how funds identify opportunities, manage risks, and navigate the region’s regulatory frameworks, while also discussing how startups can attract investment, scale their operations, and position themselves for growth. The discussion will highlight the importance of cross-border collaboration in driving innovation and development across the region, emphasizing the synergy between funds and startups in accelerating the IT sector’s growth.

Moderator – Olga Melniciuc, CEO at Startup Moldova

Speakers: Amir Hegazi, Managing Director of Capital Democracy, Steinar Hoel Korsmo, Seed Forum Global Founder & CEO, Nihat Muradzade, Chief Technology Officer at SABAH HUB Innovation Centre of Azerbaijan, Dumitru Ciorici, Digital enthusiast and Chief Business Development Officer at Fagura, Amir Hegazi, Managing Director of Capital Democracy

15:00- 15:50

New Education for the New (AI) Economy: Integrating AI Across Traditional Academia and Corporate Initiatives

Technologies, and in particular AI, are revolutionizing education across both traditional academia and corporate sectors. We explore how prominent educational actors in Eurasia are reshaping the educational landscape. Discover how traditional universities can adapt and incorporate technologies into their curricula to effectively meet evolving industry demands. We’ll also examine successful strategies from different education models, highlighting their innovative approaches to integrating technologies, addressing critical skills gaps, and how media literacy can help with this. 

Moderator – Irina Oriol,  Executive Director at National Association of ICT Companies

Speakers: Anatol Poiata, Chief of Data Science Department at AC- Technologies, Nana Dikhaminjia‬, co-founder of Clear Signal Solutions and co-founder of educational non-profit Techdro in Georgia, Jenny Romano, Co-founder and CEO of TheNewsroom

15:55

Closing remarks, coffee and networking