Today, March 10th, the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies has revealed the architectural design of the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science.

The EU TUMO Convergence Center is a unique STEM hub in Yerevan, focused on sparking innovation. It is where academia and industry come together and where Armenia connects to the world. Designed by the world-renowned Dutch architecture firm MVRDV, the Convergence Center’s flagship building will be an innovative horizontal skyscraper. Only six stories tall but stretched over 200 meters at the edge of the Hrazdan Gorge, the building occupies 17,000 square meters. It is made up of 300 modular spaces arranged inside a giant hall that creates a unique interior ecosystem. This building within a building represents a highly energy efficient solution that blends the indoor with the open air. The project was presented at the EU TUMO Convergence Center pavilion at the DigiTec Expo in Yerevan.

“The goal of the Convergence Center project is to create a self-sustaining ecosystem that will accelerate the growth of high tech, engineering and applied sciences in Armenia. We need to close the gap between academia and industry. And we need to give students and young professionals access to the kind of hands-on training that will empower them to start new ventures and energize existing ones, taking them to the next level.” says Pegor Papazian, Chief Development Officer at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies.

The center will be made up of three mutually reinforcing components:

Learning and research programs: TUMO Labs is a free of charge platform where university students and young professionals work on R&D projects on behalf of academia and local and international technology companies.

Conference and exhibition spaces: The center will include conference halls, event venues, coworking areas, and training facilities to meet the diverse needs of both individuals and enterprises. These spaces will host large-scale events such as conferences and conventions.

Working and retail facilities: Designed as a modular system that can accommodate both small firms and larger tenants, the Convergence Center offices provide the flexibility and room for growth that most technology companies need. At ground level, the center makes room for cafes, restaurants, gyms, stores, and other retail outlets.

Plans for the €25 million STEM ecosystem co-funded by the European Union were initially revealed in 2019, and TUMO organized an international architectural competition. After a spirited competition full of bold and innovative design proposals, the jury selected the Dutch MVRDV studio to design the new center. In the same year, TUMO Labs, one of the core components of the project, was launched to expand the scope of TUMO’s program, providing young people with the chance to acquire knowledge and practical skills in the fields of technology, applied science, and engineering.

The construction of the center will begin in 2023. This flagship facility is part of a larger plan that will include the current TUMO building, multiple technology companies and educational programs, as well as the site of the upcoming Halabyan metro station.

TUMO Labs is part of the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science, a project funded by the European Union and implemented with the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies.

An impressive, floor-to-ceiling body scanner sits nestled in the corner of the room, surrounded by a flurry of activity buzzing in every direction. A handful of students are exploring a variety of different software and programming languages over there, with others stepping into the contraption and capturing lifelike images of their features. At the head of the room stands Alfred Waizenauer, CEO of Osensus GmbH and developer of the monolithic structure looming off to the side, the 3D Fascination Scanner.

Spearheaded by TUMO Labs in tandem with Osensus Armenia, the project finds a group of students and young professionals diving headfirst into the intricacies and nuances of one of Osensus’s flagship projects: 3D scanning of animated objects using the 3D Fascination Scanner, the world’s most compact and mobile full body plug and play device of its kind. At the moment, the scanner primarily functions as a means to produce lifelike 3D models of scanned copies captured by the device. But bigger things are most definitely on the way, with Alfred quick to point to the range of limitless possibilities for the scanner with the explosion in global popularity of augmented and virtual reality. “Up until now, our 3D models have been static. Now, we’re seeing an opportunity to augment reality using 3D objects. It could be as simple as using your smartphone to plug one of our scanned 3D objects directly into an AR setting.”

That’s where rigging, or the process of configuring the model’s structure and joints, comes in. In order to even support animated 3D models for use in the burgeoning AR world, the students, aided by Alfred along with Suren Abrahamyan and Serob Balyan of Osensus Armenia, need to create and develop an automated rigging process, a critical precondition for animating 3D models and, thus, the primary objective of the program, with students researching, combing through, and combining different forms of software to inch ever closer to making fully automated 3D models compatible with AR. As Serob notes, “Rigging itself is not a very huge deal, as many software programs have already figured out the challenge. The difficult part has to do with automated rigging. But with the help of TUMO Labs and the students, we’re hopeful we can achieve this result. And it will be fascinating when we do.”

TUMO’s 3D Modeling workshop leader Garik Khodaverdi also worked extensively with TUMO Labs students on the project. “I had a short time to introduce students to the different stages of 3D modeling while getting everyone up to speed in Autodesk, Maya, and the ZBrush software needed for 3D animation. And we got results! Another highlight was the scanner workshop, it helped students combine the theoretical with the practical.”

With the range of new and exciting possibilities in terms of just how far the 3D Fascination Scanner’s limits can be stretched comes a new set of opportunities for Osensus Armenia.

Previously tasked with providing full cleaning services for the scanned 3D objects, the organization now looks set t o develop an A-Z, full software package compatible with Osensus’s hardware, tinkering and updating along the way to enhance the product’s performance and functionality-hopefully with the help of organizations like TUMO and the inquisitive young minds participating in the project. “It’s definitely an ideal start for students and young professionals who want to explore the world of 3D modeling and AR/VR,” says Suren. “The students are creating real products and seeing real results for real-life problems.” Alfred, echoing Suren’s thoughts, adds “They’re highly motivated and have a solid foundation of skills. And they’re asking the right questions, which is always a good sign that they’re engaged.”

Ultimately, the innovative, boundary-pushing nature of the project fits rather comfortably into the niche that TUMO Labs has been carving out for itself in Armenia, having already teamed up with 10XEngineering last autumn to train a group of UFAR students in designing a fully automated climate control system, and currently overseeing two separate projects on AI traffic control systems and innovative data management in the healthcare sector. Part of the EU TUMO Convergence Center, TUMO Labs is already making the center’s mission statement a reality, with Suren highlighting the opportunity to “merge young professionals and the energy and ideas they bring with companies like ours.” As student Arpen Tadevosyan enthuses after Alfred wraps up a hands-on demonstration before breaking for lunch, “It’s certainly a challenge. But it’s really exciting at the same time-being able to work on something with real world implications.”

Because of the current public health situation in Armenia and throughout the world, TUMO Labs is now conducting all of its courses online.

“Even though we come from different backgrounds, experience, and education, we all share a passion for creating something.”

Erebouni Torosyan, Director of the EU TUMO Convergence Center, is describing the tightly-knit group overseeing the latest addition to the TUMO fold. The team, striking in its diverse composition, includes two repatriates from the Armenian Diaspora, two natives of Yerevan, and one non-Armenian. Meanwhile, the EU-funded project is nothing short of ambitious, encompassing a shared space of mixed-use facilities perched on top of the Hrazdan River Gorge, one of the most eye-catchingly beautiful parts of Yerevan. The center sees itself as a hub for hands-on STEM education, providing students with the skills necessary to thrive in an interconnected global marketplace while connecting those students with companies increasingly on the lookout for highly educated STEM professionals with well-rounded, adaptable skill sets.

That passion that Erebouni referenced is on full display when talking with Yevgenya Shamshyan, the project’s financial director. Yevgenya echoes Erebouni’s enthusiasm for the project and the team, expressing considerable excitement for the opportunities the center could provide young adults in Armenia. “I feel very lucky to be working on this project everyday. The scope and scale of the project really gives me an opportunity to take my skills to the next level. ”

“What was interesting is that they were able to build something like this here in Armenia. You don’t really see that very much for this age group (12-18 year olds) anywhere else in the world, really,” says Emin Sinani, describing what attracted him to TUMO (which provides tuition-free afterschool education programs to teenagers) and, by extension, the Convergence Center. Emin is tasked with setting up 42 Yerevan within the center, a Paris-based computer programming school renowned for its unique learning methods, functioning as a peer-to-peer and self-learning environment completely devoid of teachers, with students encouraged to collaborate to solve complex problems. Emin, who came from a background in industrial and interaction design, shared what initially sold him on the prospect of immersing himself in the project. “I always wanted to do something that contributes to society rather than just making a product and selling it. That gave me comfort when I came here, knowing I was doing something good for the Armenian community.”

“The country can go forward if non-profit organizations act as a sort of wingman for the government, helping them understand what the people really need,” explains Bahareh Fatemi, who came to TUMO from a background in non-profit organizations and corporate social responsibility. Bahareh is the Senior Project Manager of TUMO Labs, which provide high-quality STEM education through project-based learning activities and labs. When asked why this project resonates so deeply with her, Bahareh, who has lived and worked in the UK, California, and Iran, replied “…as someone who studied nonprofit management and leadership, I think the EU-TUMO Convergence Center will play a huge role in Armenia’s future. It will help young professionals understand and answer all of the mind-boggling research problems out there.”

Ultimately, the close-knit team has high expectations when it comes to the center. Program manager Edita Ghazaryan feels that “…the biggest value is that the community and society as a whole will benefit from having high-quality education…not just the students. That’s why we’re doing our best to make sure that it works.”

Despite different styles and character traits, the five-member Convergence Center group meshes well, functioning as one cohesive unit. “We’re very much a team. We always support each other and work closely towards this very unified vision we’re moving towards,” says Erebouni. Something that immediately stands out when speaking with each member of the group is how the Convergence Center project functions as a sort of beacon for professionals from all over the world thirsting for their next challenge, with the team’s two repatriates (Erebouni and Emin) specifically citing the Convergence Center as their reason for moving to Armenia. Bahareh, meanwhile, alludes to another kind of pull both the project and the country had in terms of influencing her decision to make the move to Armenia. “Deep down you’re connected to your roots and to this part of the world more than you are to the West. Here, just going out for a coffee and sitting down with these people… they know the struggles you’re going through. When I say I miss my country, I miss my home… they get that, they understand.”

 

*The EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science, funded by the European Union, is an educational and technology hub comprising TUMO’s hands-on educational programs, facilities for learning and work, shared labs, and the computer science and mathematics faculty of the French University in Armenia.

Today, on December 20, a joint project among TUMO Labs (part of the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Sciences), the French University in Armenia, and 10X Engineering wrapped up. Over the course of six weeks, UFAR students learned the LabView graphical programming language and improved their understanding of data science, helping them design fully automated climate control systems.

“The purpose of the project was to show the students the types of opportunities out there in science, how they can choose their specialty and succeed. All of the programs and areas we studied were intended to illustrate how knowledge is put to practical use. Here, the fundamental knowledge that universities provide is complemented by the latest innovations from the industry,” says David Zargaryan, Director of 10X Engineering.

At the end of the project, students presented their work to a committee consisting of representatives from the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science and the French University in Armenia.

“Over the past six weeks, we got to learn about recent trends in the tech world and were able to create problem solving systems. For example, we created a product and designed it using a program we learned about right here. In short, we gained real insight about 3D Modeling,” says Sara Kostondyan, a sophomore in the Faculty of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the French University in Armenia.

“The LabView graphical programming language we studied here was a great way to get a better idea of general engineering,” says Argishti Tigranyan, a fellow UFAR student from the same department.

“Thanks to these types of projects, students see what is happening in this field and get closer to it. A university education provides important theoretical knowledge, and that knowledge is further strengthened through practical application. Fortunately, our students were ready for this approach, as the role these projects play (and the results they show) in our curriculum is immense,” says Aram Yesayan, Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at the French University in Armenia.

Bahareh Fatemi, Senior Project Manager at TUMO Labs, mentions: “Today, the UFAR students proved to us that we are on the right track in creating an environment of synergy. In every presentation, we witnessed an appetite for more projects, greater challenges, and more time spent at TUMO labs. On that note, TUMO Labs will be back after the holidays, with its first project slated to begin on February 3. Stay tuned for an announcement before the holidays.”

*The EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science, funded by the European Union, is an educational and technology hub comprising TUMO’s hands-on educational programs, facilities for learning and work, shared labs, and Faculty of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics of the French University in Armenia.

TUMO Labs has kicked off its collaboration with academic institutions in Armenia. On December 6th, stakeholders in higher education and government gathered at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan to learn more about TUMO Labs and opportunities for collaboration. TUMO Labs is an initiative of the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science funded by the European Union in partnership with TUMO and the French University in Armenia. The program is a pioneering component of the Convergence Center project that brings together academia and industry to create hands-on, market-relevant learning experiences for university students and young professionals.

Attendees included Arevik Anapiosyan, deputy minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport for the Republic of Armenia, Stanislav Toshkov, cooperation officer for the EU Delegation to Armenia, Pegor Papazian, chief development officer at TUMO, Jean-Marc Lavest, rector of the French University in Armenia (UFAR), and representatives of Yerevan State University, Russian Armenian University, National Polytechnic University, National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Armenian State University of Economics, American University of Armenia, Armenian National Engineering Laboratories (ANEL), Armenian National Agrarian University, and the A. Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory.

During the meeting, attendees discussed future areas of cooperation between TUMO Labs and local academic institutions. They observed an ongoing TUMO Labs project, in which computer science students from UFAR are working with 10x Engineering, a software and hardware developer, to design an automated climate control system.

“TUMO Labs is the heart of the EU TUMO Convergence Center,” said Pegor Papazian, chief development officer at the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies. “Its success depends on how well it fits into the local academic and tech community, and how much value it adds to that community through international linkages, innovative projects and leading edge educational initiatives.”

“TUMO Labs is a great opportunity for students and universities. Participants will gain valuable research skills through hands-on, project-based learning experiences,” said Arevik Anapiosyan, deputy minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport for the Republic of Armenia. “Additionally, the EU TUMO hub will provide local universities and stakeholders with a shared space to exchange ideas and share resources.”

“My expectations for this program are very high,” said Karen Keryan, head of the Yerevan State University Masters Program in Applied Statistics and Data Science. “Effective partnerships between the private sector and academia stand to benefit all parties, particularly our students, by raising the bar on what they can achieve.”

TUMO Labs will officially launch its programming in January 2020 with a call for applications. The program is open to young people in Armenia ages 18 and up.

The EU TUMO Convergence Center is an initiative of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies funded by the European Union. A mixed-use campus fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, it links local students, researchers and technologists to each other and their global peers. The Convergence Center includes teaching and training facilities such as TUMO Labs and UFAR’s computer science and mathematics faculty, as well as a conference center, public retail outlets and businesses.

The architectural design process for the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science is underway. The Convergence Center, funded by the European Union, is an educational and technology hub comprising TUMO’s hands-on educational programs, facilities for learning and work, shared labs, and the Computer science and mathematics faculty of the French University in Armenia.

MVRDV, a Netherlands-based architecture and urban design practice, won the international architectural competition to design the center — a €25 million STEM ecosystem seeking to bridge the gap between higher education and industry in Armenia. In the final round of the competition, three giants of architecture — RCR Arquitectes, BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and MVRDV — presented ambitious visions for the project. The competition jury selected MVRDV to design the center’s 25,000 square meter campus, located on 1.5 hectares of land adjacent to the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan. The ideas generated during the competition will be expanded upon, leading to a final architectural design in spring 2020.

Founded in 1993 by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries, MVRDV has grown to over two hundred architects providing design solutions for architectural and urban issues around the world. Known for its highly collaborative, research-based design method, the firm’s projects include the Rotterdam Market Hall covered by an apartment building in the form of a giant vault, and the Tianjin Binhai Library, boasting undulating bookshelves around an illuminated central sphere. Since its inception, the firm has received 95 awards and nominations including several for their design of Seoullo 7017 Skygarden in Seoul, Korea, a 983-meter long inner city highway converted into a public park.

The architectural competition for the design of the Convergence Center launched in June 2019. It consisted of two stages ⁠— an open call for applicants, then three finalists invited to travel to Armenia for two days of on-site, interactive workshops with stakeholders and members of the competition jury.

“We’re building a game-changing international platform for engineering and technology with a unique approach to education,” said Marie Lou Papazian, CEO of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and member of the Convergence Center competition jury. “We were eager to see how different architects would interpret that vision and imagine the future home of the center.”

The competition jury was led by Hashim Sarkis, dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning and curator of the 2020 Venice Architecture Biennale. It included Marie Lou Papazian, CEO of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies; Raffi Krikorian, managing director at the Emerson Collective, board member of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and former VP at Twitter; Jean-Marc Lavest, rector of the French University in Armenia; and Soh Yeong Roh, founder and director of the Art Center Nabi, a Seoul-based institution which specializes in media arts, robotics and artificial intelligence.

BIG

The three competition finalists were narrowed down from a pool of 67 applicants from 24 countries. Some of the world’s major architecture firms entered the competition including Japanese luminaries Arata Isozaki, Shigeru Ban and Kengo Kuma; leading international practices such as Dominique Perrault, Mossessian Architecture and AECOM; and rising stars FABRICations, Nicolas Laisne and Barozzi Veiga.

In August, teams representing the finalists traveled to Yerevan to lead on-site workshops. They set up camp in an Ararat facing room on the second floor of TUMO, where over the course of two days, they discussed the parameters of the project and built prototypes. During their workshops, finalists generated exciting ideas like a building in the form of a bridge spanning the Hrazdan Gorge, an indoor village complex, and the Convergence Center as an extension of Tumanyan Park, with the park sloping up and forming the roof of a building.

RCR

On day one of each firm-led workshop, teams visited the future site of the Convergence Center and toured Yerevan. The executive team presented the project, its aspirations and the national science and technology ecosystem. Later in the day, the firms and executive team worked collaboratively to formulate ideas based on what they had seen and learned. On the final day of the workshops, firms were given free reign to develop their ideas, reconvening with the executive team and jury in the evening for a final presentation and discussion.

“We weren’t out to judge an architectural outcome,” explained Jean-Marc Lavest, rector of the French University in Armenia and member of the competition jury. “The workshop model allowed us to gage each firm’s work style and approach to design, as well as the compatibility of their ideas with the project’s mission and stakeholders.”

The innovative design proposals that emerged during the on-site workshop led by MVRDV were responsive to the project’s vision of creating an extensible platform, a nexus for collaboration, and an accessible destination with ample public space and opportunities for convergence. Based on the insights gathered during the workshop, they will develop a concept design by spring 2020.The Convergence Center is MVRDV’s first project in Armenia and will be personally led by the firm’s co-founder and premier architect Winy Maas.

MVRDV

Construction of the Convergence Center is expected to begin in fall 2020 and take approximately three years to complete. It will take place in phases — allowing portions of the campus and its programming to open prior to the completion of the entire project. One component of the center, “42 Yerevan,” a branch of the world-famous 42 Network of global coding academies founded in France, will open as early as September 2020.

Today, the architectural design competition of the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science entered its second stage with a shortlist of three of the world’s leading architecture firms as finalists. BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, RCR Arquitectes and MVRDV were selected by a jury led by Hashim Sarkis, dean of the MIT Department of Architecture and Urban Planning and curator of the 2020 Architecture Biennale. The three finalists will work in Yerevan with the jury and the Convergence Center team during a two-day workshop leading to the selection of the winning firm.

The Convergence Center, funded by the European Union, is an educational and technology hub comprising TUMO’s hands-on educational programs, facilities for learning and work, shared labs, and the computer science and mathematics faculty of the French University in Armenia.

Daring and innovative, BIG’s architecture works at “the fertile overlap between pragmatic and utopia.” With offices in Copenhagen, New York and London, the Bjarke Ingels Group has a global footprint, with unique projects across the world. The firm’s Amager Resource Center in Copenhagen is a waste-to-energy plant with a stack that blows vapor smoke rings into the air and features a ski slope on its roof.

RCR Arquitectes is a recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the field’s highest honor. It is led by a team of three architects who have worked together for decades from the small town of Olot, Catalonia. Exemplified by their Soulages Museum in Rodez, France, RCR’s work “creates lasting and meaningful spaces,” deploying modern materials and strong geometries that resonate with their natural settings.

MVRDV is a Dutch architecture and urban design practice known for its highly collaborative, research-based design method. The firm’s reputation was propelled by its famous design for the Rotterdam Market Hall, covered by an apartment building in the form of a giant vault. More recently, MVRDV unveiled the Tianjin Binhai Library boasting undulating bookshelves around an illuminated central sphere.

Also participating in the first stage of the competition were some of the world’s major architecture firms including Japanese luminaries Arata Isozaki, Shigeru Ban and Kengo Kuma, leading international practices such as Dominique Perrault, Mossessian Architecture and AECOM, and rising stars FABRICations, Nicolas Laisne and Barozzi Veiga.

Some of the world’s leading architects are among sixty-seven firms from twenty-four countries who have submitted their candidacy for the first stage of the architectural competition for the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science. They include three laureates of the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honor, Arata Isozaki, RCR Arquitectes and Shigeru Ban, as well as major firms such as Bjarke Ingels Group: BIG, Kengo Kuma and MVRDV, and numerous highly accomplished local and international architects.

The Convergence Center, funded by the European Union, is an educational and technology hub comprising TUMO’s hands-on educational programs, facilities for learning and work, shared labs, the 42 coding school and the computer science and mathematics faculty of the French University in Armenia.

Three of the competing firms will be selected by the competition jury to enter the second and final stage of the competition. One of those three will be announced the winner in September and commissioned to design the Convergence Center. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2020 and completed in stages over the following two to three years. The competition jury is headed by Hashim Sarkis, Dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning and curator of the 2020 Venice Biennale.

Located in a 25,000 square meter campus next to the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, the project is the region’s most ambitious new education ecosystem for engineering and applied science. The Convergence Center will be a vibrant community bringing together learning and entrepreneurship and connecting students, young professionals and local ventures to their global peers.

The EU TUMO Convergence Center announces that Armenia will be part of 42 Network of 20 partner campuses that was launched by the famous French coding school, 42. “42 Yerevan” will be located next to the TUMO building in Yerevan, inside the campus of the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science.

42 is a pioneering coding academy created in 2013 by Xavier Niel, a highly successful serial entrepreneur. Its goal is to train the best developers in the world and provide them with the foundation for a successful career. Through this partnership, the EU TUMO Convergence Center will mitigate the shortage of developers needed to fuel Armenia’s booming tech industry and startup ecosystem. Anyone 18 years old or over will have the opportunity to gain cutting-edge software engineering skills free of charge, to complement their university education or as a career change, or immediately after high school.

42 Yerevan will emphasize the recruitment of women and students from Armenia’s outer regions, for whom it will provide subsidized dormitory options, security services and support infrastructure during their study period. It will admit up to 150 students per year for a study cycle of up to two years. The Armenian center is the only campus of the 42 network in the region and joins other centers in France, Japan, Belgium, Finland, Colombia, Spain, Canada, Netherlands, Morocco, Russia, Brazil, and Indonesia.

The innovative pedagogy of 42 relies on peer-to-peer learning. Participants learn without teachers or classes and students are in charge of their own success and the success of their peers in a project-based environment. To succeed, they rely on the strength of the group, sharing information and switching between helping others and being helped. This learning model relies on collective intelligence and fosters self-learning, experimentation, and critical thinking, similar to productive dynamics in the professional world.

The EU TUMO Convergence Center is an initiative of the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and the European Union. It is a mixed-use campus bringing together academia and industry, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and linking local students, researchers and technologists to each other and their global peers. It includes a set of mutually reinforcing components ⁠— combining teaching and training facilities, businesses, public retail outlets and a conference center. Learn more at www.convergence.center

Today, TUMO and the European Union launched their partnership to build and operate the EU TUMO Convergence Center for Engineering and Applied Science, a state of the art STEM ecosystem in Yerevan, Armenia.

The center will be a hub for research, education and startups geared towards university students and young professionals. It will bring together partners, both local and international, to bridge the gap between higher education and industry in Armenia.It will be baed in a newly constructed campus of 15,000 square meters located on 1.5 hectares of land adjacent to the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies. The land, valued at 6 million Euros, is donated to the project by the Simonian Educational Foundation. TUMO and it’s partners, most notably the French University in Armenia (UFAR), are also contributing an additional 6.5 million Euros to the project. This contribution is matched by a 12.5 million Euro grant from the European Union, in partnership with the Government of Armenia. The campus includes infrastructure for educational programming, a STEM research laboratory, a conference center, and revenue generating commercial space to ensure the center’s long-term financial sustainability. Additionally, the campus will host the UFAR’s Faculty for Informatics and Applied Mathematics.

A centerpiece of the project is TUMO Labs, a technology education hub designed to complement local universities with project-based learning opportunities in cutting edge fields. TUMO Labs will be a logical continuation of the TUMO program that gives young adults professional experience and promotes innovation and entrepreneurship in Armenia.

The signing and groundbreaking for the center was attended by guests from the European Union, ministries of the Republic of Armenia, the IT sector and local universities. The event kicked off with a video address by EU Commissioner Carlos Moedas. 

“[The center] captures this imagination that for me is the spirit of Armenia, and I think, is at the heart of the future of the European Union. That’s why we all need to invest in innovation,” said Lawrence Meredith, director of Neighborhood East at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations.

“We are thrilled to be creating a world-class STEM ecosystem in Armenia where the next generation of high tech professionals can learn and innovate,” said Pegor Papazian, TUMO’s chief development officer. “With support from the European Union, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Armenia, and other partners both local and international, we will bridge the gap between higher education and the rapidly changing needs of the global economy.”

After the signing, attendees walked to the site of the future center, where Lawrence Meredith, Pegor Papazian, Piotr Antoni Świtalski, EU Ambassador, Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, and Arayik Harutyunyan, minister of education for the Republic of Armenia, participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking.