AMD Vice President on Expanding the Company’s Presence in Armenia

AMD’s Armenian office was established in 2019 and has grown steadily over the years, forming a team of around 100 professionals.

Dan Gibbons, Vice President of AMD, who visited Armenia for the first time, shared his impressions of the country’s tech sector in an exclusive interview with Itel.am. He spoke about AMD’s current and future initiatives, as well as the potential factors influencing investment attractiveness.

This is your first visit to Armenia, what has impressed you the most during this trip?

Yes, this is my first visit. It’s been quite productive despite the tight agenda. We’ve been trying to make the most out of every day. A lot has impressed me, but what stood out the most is the passion for technology in Armenia. I was aware that Armenia had a tech strategy, but the level of commitment to making technology a central component of the country’s growth strategy is truly amazing. It’s very reassuring for someone like me, who’s evaluating investment potential.

What opportunities do you see in the Armenian tech ecosystem?

At the core of it all is talent. AMD is a knowledge-driven company. Our employees are our biggest asset. There’s a lot we could potentially do here. We started with one initiative, and we have peer companies like Siemens and Synopsys also operating here, which initially encouraged us. Armenia, despite being a smaller region, offers high-quality universities and a strong focus on talent development, which is very attractive. There are certainly future possibilities, but they depend on several factors.

photo © Enterprise Armenia

What are those factors that determine future growth?

The company’s ability to afford expansion, the operating conditions in the region, and most importantly, the results we achieve here. That’s my team’s top priority to produce consistent, high-quality results. If we can do that, it inspires further investment.

Is AMD considering opening an R&D center or another long-term presence in Armenia?

At the moment, we don’t have plans beyond what we’re currently doing. Our focus is on making our existing operations successful and scalable. Any future decisions will depend on our success with what we are already doing

AMD is a major player in AI hardware. How do you envision the role of AMD in powering the next generation of AI workloads, especially in our region? 

AI is currently the biggest area of investment for AMD. In fact, there’s a major event happening this week in the U.S. focusing on AI advancements. Our priority isn’t just hardware, but also software. Right now, we don’t have plans to expand AI software efforts in Armenia. But with the right opportunities, it's always a possibility.

Armenia has a strong engineering community. What opportunities do you see for collaboration with local professionals, startups, or research institutes?

That’s something we’re definitely interested in pursuing more. So far, we haven’t done much of that. Our first priority would be collaboration with universities introducing our technologies and contributing to talent development. Globally, we also have a history of partnering with, investing in, and acquiring startups. While we haven’t explored that in Armenia yet, it’s a strategy we would consider over time.

Armenia’s tech industry has great potential, but also faces challenges. What challenges have you observed, and how can they be addressed?

Our biggest challenge currently is productivity among software developers, particularly when dealing with sensitive customer information that can’t be widely shared. We’re working to improve that. Ultimately, developers here need to be as productive as those anywhere else to avoid limitations.

photo © Enterprise Armenia

Another long-term concern is talent availability. As more companies arrive, the country must be able to produce enough talent. Additionally, there’s a shortage of experienced senior managers and senior technical professionals. This has to be addressed either through local development or by bringing in experience from outside. Without strong senior leadership, it's hard to grow big.

What steps can Armenia take to attract more investment and partnerships from leading tech companies like AMD?

Armenia is competing globally. There's different ways to incentivize. We discussed this with the Ministry of Technology as well. I think their outreach at the corporate locations and levels of companies like ours to help market and share the incentives and the possibilities.

Incentives are important, but just as critical is proactive outreach. We discussed this with the Ministry of Technology, they need to engage with corporate leadership levels to effectively communicate Armenia’s value proposition. Think of it as market competition, other regions also want to grow bigger. I encourage the government and organizations like Enterprise Armenia to continue their work actively and progressively.

Nune Grigoryan talked to Dan Gibbons