EECA Countries

Armenia historically was a High Tech "Silicon valley" for the Soviet Union with its continuing traditions. The Post-Soviet Armenian government announced the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) as a high priority direction for country development. In 2001, the Government approved ICT Development Concept Paper and Action Plan prepared by the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development in accordance with the recommendations outlined in the ICT Master Strategy. Various programs have been designed by Donor organizations and their implementing agencies to make assessments, supporting the development of country ICT sector. Among these are: World Bank, European Union, USAID, NATO Science, GTZ, OSI-AF, Eurasia Foundation, UNDP, and TACIS.

Documents developed under Picture project:

Top ICT news of Armenia Cutting edge news about the Armenian ICT sector.

Documents developed under previous projects:

Express Diagnostics for ICT R&D collaboration with EU

ICT RTD Fact Sheet

Recommendations on EU-EECA ICT R&D cooperation (note! section 3.2 refers to EU-Armenia collaboration)

EU-ARMENIA successful collaboration cases

External documents:

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are one of the priority directions of paramount importance in sustainable economic development of Azerbaijan. This sector holds leading position in innovative technologies and attraction of foreign and domestic investments compared to other sectors of the economy. On February 7, 2002 the joint project "National Information Communication Technology Strategy (NICTS) development and its initial implementation in the Republic of Azerbaijan" between the Government of Azerbaijan and UNDP was signed. Under this project National ICT Strategy for 2003-2012 was developed and approved on February 17, 2003.

Documents developed under Picture project:

THE ICT R&D ENVIRONMENT IN AZERBAIJAN This document presents the ICT R&D environment in Azerbaijan and the R&D ICT Co-operation with the EU and foreign countries. It’s an update of an older document created under EXTEND project.

The National ICT sector in Azerbaijan This document presents the national ICT Sector in Azerbaijan. It’s an update of an older document created under EXTEND project.

Documents developed under previous projects:

ICT Environment in Azerbaijan

ICT RTD Fact Sheet

Success story of EU-Azerbaijan ICT RTD collaboration

External documents:

Belarus has a long tradition in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and always has been in the centre of attention for foreign researches, universities and companies. Historically, the country was one of the most technologically advanced republics of the former Soviet Union, when 50% of the computers and computers' components were being produced in Belarus. Nowadays, the country's R&D organisations have technical infrastructures such as supercomputers and computer systems for different medical applications, as well as for space technologies, nanotechnologies, photonics etc.

Documents developed under Picture project:

Documents developed under previous projects:

National ICT Sector and Policy Appraisal report

ICT RTD Fact Sheet

Actions for more effective EU-Belarus ICT RTD collaboration

Opportunities for EU ICT RTD actors in Belarus

Profiles of ICT RTD actors

Success Stories of EU-Belarus ICT RTD collaboration

External documents:

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays the important role in development process of the Georgian economy. As the result of economic reforms carried out in Georgia the liberalized and de-monopolized market was settled in the country. There is the favorable environment for investments and for implementation of new services and info-communications means. Competition is progressively developing which positively effects on the service quality and its accessibility for the population.

Documents developed under Picture project:

ICT Environment in Georgia This document presents the national ICT R&D environment in Georgia. It’s an update of an older document created under EXTEND project

Updated ICT RTD Fact Sheet for Georgia This document is an updated fact sheet about RTD in ICT in Georgia. The original document had been created under EXTEND project.

Documents developed under previous projects:

ICT Environment in Georgia

ICT RTD Fact Sheet

Success Story of EU-Georgia ICT RTD collaboration

External documents:

ICT sector in Kazakhstan is on the stage of infrastructure development and main services such as landlines, mobile communications and internet. For example, in 2008, only 23% of the population has landline communications in the city and 8% in the countryside. Similarly, internet penetration is only 8% and 1.6% for broadband internet. The access is limited to 256 kbps and it does not exceed 100 kbps in reality. Nonetheless, Kazakhstan has the most developed mobile infrastructure in the Central Asia region - in 2008, the mobile connection was available for 94% of Kazakhstan population

Documents developed under Picture project:

Analysis of Current Situation of the ICT Sector in Kazakhstan This document analyses the ICT R&D sector in Kazakhstan

Documents developed under previous projects:

National ICT RTD sector report

Recommendations on EU-EECA ICT R&D cooperation (note! section 3.5 refers to EU-Kazakhstan collaboration)

External documents:

Active forming of national ICT policy started in 2000, when the government of Kyrgyzstan announced to all world community that Kyrgyzstan chooses information society. This initiative was actively supported by the international organizations operating in the republic (UNDP, Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation, etc).

Documents developed under Picture project:

ICT R&D Priorities in Kyrgyzstan This document describes the ICT R&D Priorities in Kyrgyzstan.

Documents developed under previous projects:

Overview of the national ICT RTD sector

External documents:

Moldova has a dynamic economy with an average annual GDP growth rate of 6.0% from 2001 to 2008. Services, including ICT, and advanced industries have rapidly been replacing traditional industries, like agriculture and wine, as the foundations of the national economy. ICT accounts for 9.5% of GDP (2008) and employs 3.2% of the labour force. Exports of IT products and services are on the rise, having doubled each year since 2006. The number of ICT firms has grown by 30% during the past two years. Per December 31, 2008 the number of companies that provide electronic communications and information technology networks and services and registered by the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology was 1209.

Documents developed under Picture project:

Documents developed under previous projects:

National ICT RTD sector report

ICT RTD Fact Sheet

Success Stories of EU-Moldova ICT RTD collaboration

External documents:

Russia has been traditionally known as the "old" scientific partner of the European Union. Many developments have taken place in recent years in Russia and its image as the "old" partner has changed. Russia has a strong R&D sector, though the scale of conducted research activities and their financial support have been considerably reduced compared to the ones observed in the Soviet Union. During the last 10 years, R&D funding in Russia has been growing permanently, facilitated by the constant GDP growth (6-7% per year) and by the increase in the R&D expenditures (1.4% of GDP by 2004)

Documents developed under Picture project:

Updated Russia’s ICT R&D Priorities This document updates the ICT R&D priorities in Russia.

Updated National ICT Sector Report in Russia his document presents the National ICT Sector in Russia. It’s an update of an older document created under ISTOK - SOYUZ project.

Updated EU-RUSSIA successful collaboration cases

Documents developed under previous projects:

National ICT Sector and Policy Appraisal report

Recommendations on EU-EECA ICT R&D cooperation (note! section 2.1 refers to EU-Russia collaboration)

Success Stories of EU-Russia ICT RTD collaboration

External documents:

Ensuring country's connectivity with other countries of the world is the vitally important issue of the economic development of the country. Telecommunication and information technologies are being developed within programs and strategies that have been previously adopted. In this regard, it is scheduled that major telecommunication services, namely local, inter-municipal and international telephony as well as access to the Internet will be ensured in all communities regardless of their geographical situation

Documents developed under Picture project:

Telecommunication and Information Technologies in Tajikistan This document describes the current situation in Tajikistan regarding Telecommunication and Information Technologies

Documents developed under previous projects:

Overview of the national ICT RTD sector

External documents:

TAJIKISTAN ELECTRONIC READINESS ASSESSMENT This document has been created by Public fund "Internet" of Tajikistan with support by the Open Society Institute – Assistance Foundation of Tajikistan. It presents an evaluation of various factors that identify information readiness of Tajikistan for participation in the networked world.

Tempus projects in Tajikistan Tempus is the EU programme that supports the modernisation of higher education in the partner countries of the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

European Delegation in Tajikistan The website of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Tajikistan.

Though its importance as a natural gas exporter has grown in recent years, Turkmenistan seeks to further expand and diversify its economy. Some public entities, such as the National Academy of Science, have taken promising initial steps in embracing ICT as a tool for greater economic development.

Documents developed under Picture project:

Updated Express Diagnostics of potential for ICT R&D collaboration with the EU - Turkmenistan This document is an updated Express Diagnostics of potential for ICT R&D collaboration between EU and Turkmenistan. The original document had been created under ISTOK – SOYUZ project

Documents developed under previous projects:

Express Diagnostics of potential for ICT R&D collaboration with the EU

External documents:

In the framework of the former Soviet Union Ukraine had developed a strong tradition in the fields of cybernetics, mathematics and computer science. Ukraine is one of the few countries in the world which has produced space stations, global radio, microwave and satellite communication systems, aircraft, nuclear submarines and surface vessels, nuclear power generating stations and other achievements of modern engineering. In addition, Ukrainian engineers, scientists and programmers have been engaged in large-scale complex projects for forty years, cutting across various technology disciplines.

Documents developed under Picture project:

Documents developed under previous projects:

National ICT Sector and Policy Appraisal report

ICT RTD Fact Sheet

Actions for more effective EU-Belarus & EU-Ukraine ICT RTD collaboration

Opportunities for EU ICT RTD actors in Ukraine

Profiles of ICT RTD actrors

Success Stories of EU-Ukraine ICT RTD collaboration

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