Some sectors have already undergone digital transformation—for example, retail trade—, but some sectors are lagging behind in this process; one of them is the healthcare sector. Chris Skinner, an international digital transformation and FinTech expert, told reporters on Wednesday on the margins of the Doing Digital Forum in Yerevan, addressing the question of which are the industries most in need of digital transformation.

"Digital transformations are happening in the transportation sector, too. Airlines, trains, autonomous vehicles, they are embracing digital transformations. One industry that is lagging behind in digital transformation is health care. I mean more public, state-run clinics because when I talk to doctors, public health specialists, my personal impression is that they are lagging behind these transformations," he said.

When asked how he sees the role of digital transformation in the provinces of Armenia, Skinner responded: "I do not pretend to be an expert on Armenia. In my report, I presented an example of a Dutch bank that uses its technological capabilities to connect with farmers at the field level. That is, in real time, banks can monitor their client farmers, what is happening in the field, whether enough fertilizer is given, whether dusting is done, whether the yield is at the right level. That is, they can monitor from the central branch in real time what is happening in their client farmer's field."

According to Chris Skinner, this doesn't require a lot of money because the technology is so cheap these days.

"All they need is a nanochip to install and monitor it. All companies in this industry can start their projects with only a few thousand [US] dollars. Agree that it is not such a big budget," he emphasized.

As an example, Skinner said that when he missed a train from France to England a few months ago, he was able to book a hotel on the spot with a few taps.

"Now there are many sectors of services that are digitized, and you can easily use these services. It's aimed at making your life easier. But there are two problems here. If you don't have 4G or 5G internet, then your life will become more edgy. Another challenge is the integration of various services. For example, recently I needed to connect to my bank through an app and make a payment. I had to try it three times, which is annoying. Thirdly, it is necessary to engage as many people as possible in digital services; that is, if everyone is not engaged in it, then the usefulness of these services decreases," Skinner emphasized.

Chris Skinner is the keynote speaker at the Doing Digital Forum. He is an international digital transformation and FinTech expert who is one of the most influential technology and financial markets experts and best-selling authors in the world today. Skinner is also the founder of The Finanser consultancy, and author of a number of books on financial technology and banking, including Digital Human, Digital Bank, The Future of Banking, and ValueWeb.

Skinner is a keynote speaker at leading international FinTech conferences and events, presenting his views on the latest developments in the industry and the future of digital transformation. The Doing Digital Forum provides a unique opportunity to host and listen to him in Armenia.

Within the framework of the forum, more than 15 speakers—from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Forbes, Visa, Apricot Capital, Revytech, Hexens, Beta Financial Technologies, ICDT Global companies, as well as from the Armenian government, SPRING PR, and Ameriabank—will share—through speeches and panel discussions—their knowledge and vision as well as best practices in business and digital technology.

Speakers at the Doing Digital Forum will talk about how to use digital transformations for business growth, use new technologies to achieve competitive advantage, talk about data protection and cybersecurity risk management, and successful digital transformation initiatives. Cryptocurrencies, Metaverse, NFT, potential sources of income and risks associated with them will also be covered.

The Doing Digital Forum is for everyone interested in digital transformation, its implementation, and the development of the digital economy, including business leaders, IT professionals, startups, investors and venture capitalists, PR, marketing and sales professionals, government employees, etc.

The innovation partner of the event is Visa, the investment partner is Apricot Capital, and the information partner is NEWS.am Tech.