Armenia has announced a landmark $500mn investment to establish a regional artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputing hub in partnership with the US tech giant NVIDIA, the AI cloud firm Firebird and the local telecoms leader Team Group. Unveiled at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, the project is set to be the largest technological initiative in the South Caucasus.

Scheduled for launch in 2026, the facility will house thousands of NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs and boast over 100 megawatts of scalable capacity. The facility aims to serve as a centre for AI research, education and entrepreneurship, fostering innovation and economic growth in the region.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan praised the initiative, calling it the "Stargate of Armenia" and highlighting its potential to transform the country's technological landscape. This collaboration builds on NVIDIA's existing presence in Armenia, which includes a research centre that was established in Yerevan in 2022.

Firebird CEO Razmig Hovaghimian spoke of the project's role in cultivating local talent and establishing Armenia as a global AI hub. The Afeyan Foundation for Armenia, led by Noubar Afeyan, is set to join as a founding investor, thereby strengthening the engagement of the diaspora in the country's tech sector.

The Armenian government is expected to support the initiative by allocating land, offering tax incentives and streamlining regulatory procedures, thereby demonstrating its commitment to fostering a robust digital economy.