MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Natia Turnava, officially opened a Technology Park in Gurjaani. Gurjaani Tech Park is the sixth of a kind across Georgia. The Technology Park project is being implemented by the LEPL Innovation and Technology Agency of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development with the financial support of the World Bank.

The Minister toured the physical space of Gurjaani Tech Park, where technological, educational and professional resources are gathered and is a platform for the development of businesses based on innovation and technology.

„Our government pays great attention to the issue of youth education, including innovative education and startups. We have just taken a decision and established a special tax exemption regime for IT companies. After making the amendment to the tax legislation, the Government of Georgia has developed a special rule, in case of satisfaction of which, income and profit taxes for IT companies were set at 5%. These are truly unprecedented decisions that have yielded fruitful results in a few days. Large global IT companies are opening their branches in Georgia, while we will train local staff, talented people for them through the tech parks and they will also invest in their professional development,“ - the Minister said at the official opening of the tech park.

Natia Turnava expressed hope that the tech park will become one of the favorite places for young people living in Gurjaani, where they will be able to master new technologies. „Here they will learn how to implement their creative ideas with the help of skilled mentors. They will learn how to start their own innovative business and I am sure that the tech park in Gurjaani will be one of the most successful among others,“ - the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development noted. 

Ilia Begiashvili, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Avtandil Kasradze, Head of the LEPL Innovation and Technology Agency, Irakli Shioshvili, State Representative in Kakheti Region and other officials also participated in the opening of Gurjaani Tech Park.

Gurjaani Tech Park brings people of different ages, directions and ideas together and helps them, using the tech park infrastructure, create innovative, technology-based products that will be competitive in both the local and global markets.

The tech park represents the Universal Laboratory of Industrial Innovation (Fablab) - with the latest equipment: high-throughput 3D printer, laser cutter, programmable machine-tool, CNC machine, card printing router, 3D scanner and more. A laboratory space staffed with highly qualified specialists will assist stakeholders in modeling and prototyping.

Moreover, the tech park combines a training center and a common workspace (co-working) for startups and the so-called „freelancers“, where it is possible, under certain conditions, to get a job in order to develop personal ideas or startup. The space is equipped with all the conditions that contribute to the startup development.

The tech park will also have a conference hall, collaborative workplaces and other services that will create a unified eco-system in the direction of innovation and technology and contribute to the development of innovative ideas in the region.