Silicon Mountains 2026 Wraps Up: Kam Ghaffarian’s Advice to Students and What Investors Pay For After AI
Yerevan, November 4, 2026 — The two-day Silicon Mountains Summit & Expo 2026, held under the theme “Invest in Innovation,” came to a close in Yerevan. After a first day led by figures from space, telecommunications and semiconductors, the second day turned to how next-generation chips are designed, what role AI plays in engineering, how women lead in tech and government, and how to invest wisely in a fast-changing world.
Kam Ghaffarian meets students: “Imagine, Believe and Execute”
Dr. Kam Ghaffarian — co-founder of X-energy, Intuitive Machines, Axiom Space and Quantum Space, and laureate of Armenia’s 2026 State Prize for Global Contribution to High Technology — met with students from Armenian universities that offer technology education. The conversation centred on one question: what should a student invest their time in?
Presenting his group of companies, IBX, he shared its motto — “Imagine, Believe and Execute.” His advice to the students was simple: find your passion.
“Find your passion, because once you find it, going to work every day is no longer work — it’s a pleasure. Have the courage to do it. Think without limits.”
Ghaffarian also spoke about persistence, determination and resilience as the qualities needed to reach a big goal. Among his favourite quotes he cited Carl Sagan: “The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars.”
“After AI”: what are investors actually paying for?
The summit ended with a closing panel on investment, “After AI: What Are Investors Actually Paying For?” Participants discussed how to plan and how to invest sensibly in a world where technologies, markets and projects change very quickly. The panel brought together Rem Darbinyan (SmartClick AI), Astghik Zakaryan (SIA Angel Hub), Ruben Osipyan (Science & Technology Angel Network), Deputy Minister Tatev Aslanyan, Sona Grigoryan (Plug and Play Armenia) and Leo Derikyants (Mind Simulation Lab), moderated by Artur Karapetyan (Text’nPayMe, UEICT Board member).
Also on day two
- The International Microelectronics Forum 2026 — speakers from IMEC, Testonica, Siemens EDA, Synopsys, Cisco, NI, Cadence and Xsight Labs on designing, testing and managing next-generation chips.
- The Women Leaders Club discussion “Leadership Without Borders: Lessons from Tech, Government and Diplomacy.”
What’s next
Over two days, Silicon Mountains brought together representatives of the technology, investment and public sectors from Armenia and around the world. The Expo — featuring companies, startups, workshops and B2B meeting opportunities — was open to visitors throughout both days.
The organizers announced that the next regional Silicon Mountains will take place in Tavush, and that the full-scale summit will return exactly one year from now.
Silicon Mountains is Armenia’s leading technology platform, organized since 2019 by the Union of Employers of ICT (UEICT) with the support of Armenia’s Ministry of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence. More information: silicon-mountains.org.
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