You can produce it in Armenia

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On Bagrevand Street, 21/1 in the Nor Nork section of Yerevan is the Science and Technology Museum, part of the Engineering City complex. While there are science exhibits of famous trailblazing Armenian scientists from Armenia and the Diaspora, the focus of the museum is on products which were engineered and manufactured in Armenia during the Soviet era. Products range from machine tools to electronic equipment, computers and household appliances. These products were distributed to all the Soviet republics. The message conveyed is “Armenians had a talent for engineering and manufacturing a few decades ago. We still have that talent.”

Engineering City started with a few high-tech companies coming together to promote high tech in Armenia. In 2016-2017, the Engineering City campus was established as part of a public-private partnership funded by the Armenian government, the World Bank, investors and the private business sector. Currently, 14 companies have facilities there, including companies from Armenia, Canada and the US. Industries that are particularly sought include advanced automotive electronics, wireless communication, radio frequency electronics, industrial electronics, manufacturing technology, aerospace and education technologies.

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Services offered include precision, numerically controlled machine tools with experienced operators; sheet metal fabrication; RoHS compliant surface mount printed circuit assembly and test; and mold making. Companies meeting certain criteria will have an opportunity to receive donations of land to establish an office with access to Engineering City’s lab and manufacturing facilities.

Besides the museum and production facilities, Engineering City offers tuition-free business, management and technology courses at an on-site branch of the State Engineering University (Polytechnic Institute). Facilities include a library, a cafeteria and a technical high school. High school graduates, if they wish, can continue their engineering or scientific education at the Polytechnic Institute.

The intent is to create an environment where companies can efficiently develop marketable products and go into production. Any company, whether a startup or a branch of an established company that wants to take advantage of the facilities is welcome. The goal is to facilitate rapid development of products which can be exported, the establishment of a manufacturing city to mass produce products, and the creation of 10,000 good paying jobs.

Marina Saguinian, an Engineering City principal, addressed R&D and manufacturing issues. She indicated that a key to success is rapid development and transition to manufacturing. Armenia can produce products with quality equaling or exceeding those produced elsewhere, and at a lower cost due to low wages in Armenia. Armenians, she emphasized, have the talent to do so.

Recent news from Engineering City indicated that engineers have completed development of a system to automatically evaluate electronic control systems used in electric vehicles. This equipment, developed in Armenia, is ready for deployment to markets in Europe and Asia.

Saguinian addressed the issue of exporting manufactured goods and was confident that Armenia can effectively compete in the global market.

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Hovsep Daghdigian

Joseph “Hovsep” Daghdigian is originally from Lowell, MA. His grandparents were from Kharpet in Western Armenia. He is active in the Merrimack Valley community and a former chairman of the AYF CE. Dagdigian is a retired electrical and software engineer with a MS in computer engineering. Dagdigian spends three to five months per year in Armenia and Artsakh exploring sites with his friend Vova Tshagharyan. His adventures are described in his “Unseen Armenia” series of articles. He, with Anahid Yeremian, co-founded the Support Committee for Armenia’s Cosmic Ray Division (SCACRD) in 2000 to support the scientists and students at the Cosmic Ray Division of the Yerevan Physics Institute (now the A. Alikhanyan National Laboratory). He lives in Harvard, MA with his wife Lisa.