Mkhitar Hayrapetyan: Armenia is developing a "hybrid" model for AI infrastructure

Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry and Eleveight AI have signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence. The document formalizes the beginning of a partnership between the government and the private sector in high-performance computing and AI infrastructure development.

The memorandum was signed by Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan and Eleveight AI co-founder and CEO Arman Aleksanyan.

The memorandum is only the first step

According to the minister, the agreement marks only the beginning of a broader collaboration that will be followed by practical work involving government agencies and representatives of the technology community.

Hayrapetyan explained that the purpose of the document was to formally establish cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence and make the two sides partners. He noted that the government and Eleveight AI had agreed to work together on various initiatives, including the potential leasing of high-performance computing resources. He stressed that this was only the start of the process.

He added that detailed discussions involving government institutions and technology stakeholders would soon take place to determine how these computing resources could be utilized within Armenia.

From consumer to producer and exporter

The minister reiterated that the government's strategic objective is to transform Armenia from a consumer of technology into a producer and exporter of technological solutions.

Hayrapetyan noted that countries can pursue different strategies: some focus on exporting computing capacity, while others prioritize domestic applications ranging from smart-city projects to scientific research. He stated that Armenia supports a hybrid model in which part of the resources are directed toward exports while a significant portion serves domestic needs.

He emphasized that global demand for computing resources continues to grow, creating new opportunities for the development of data centers and AI infrastructure. According to the minister, successful implementation of such projects could allow Armenia to move beyond domestic technology consumption and become an exporter of technological services.

Hayrapetyan stated that if companies such as Eleveight AI choose not only to serve the local market but also to export services, this would be a realistic and achievable goal.

At the same time, he stressed that Armenian technology companies often take into account not only business considerations but also their broader responsibility to the national economy and technological ecosystem. According to him, this is reflected in strategic decisions that allocate resources toward strengthening the local innovation environment.

A year ago, it seemed impossible

Hayrapetyan said that the launch of Armenia’s first AI factory by Eleveight AI marks the beginning of a new stage in the country's high-tech development.

According to the minister, the idea of turning Armenia into a location for AI factories had been discussed for a long time. A major milestone, he said, was the memorandum on cooperation in artificial intelligence and the semiconductor industry signed between Armenia and the United States on August 8, 2025. In his view, that agreement created the conditions necessary for Armenia to gain access to cutting-edge technologies.

He explained that following the signing of the memorandum, Armenian companies, including Eleveight AI, quickly began the process of obtaining permits to import NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs into the country. He noted that the results of that effort are already visible today.

The minister described the project as an example of effective cooperation between the public and private sectors. He stated that within just a few months, a project that many people would have considered unlikely only a year earlier had become reality. According to him, it is no longer merely a concept or an idea, but a functioning facility.

Speed as a competitive advantage

Hayrapetyan emphasized that speed is crucial in today’s rapidly evolving technological environment.

He argued that without fast decision-making and close cooperation between the government and businesses, the project could not have been completed in such a short period of time. He added that Armenia has learned how to make decisions quickly and effectively, and that this capability will become one of the key drivers of economic growth in the future.

According to the minister, while countries competed in the 20th century to build industrial parks and manufacturing zones, competition in the 21st century is increasingly centered on the construction of data centers and AI factories.