The Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia organized an event within the framework of the “Fostering an Innovation Culture for the Next Generation in Georgia’s Artificial Intelligence Research Community (FORGE-AI)” project, where project partners and stakeholders reviewed the achievements of the first year and discussed future plans.

The event was opened by Teimuraz Dochviri, Director General of the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia. In his welcoming remarks, he emphasized that FORGE-AI is an important initiative that contributes to strengthening Georgia’s research and innovation ecosystem in the field of artificial intelligence, supporting the professional development of young researchers, and expanding international cooperation. “Today, we will review the results achieved over the past year and outline future plans to ensure that, through close collaboration with our partner organizations, we successfully accomplish the goals and objectives set within this international project. We are also pleased to welcome Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Youth, Zviad Gabisonia, who is actively engaged in research and development activities related to artificial intelligence and digital technologies,” said Teimuraz Dochviri.

The audience was also addressed by Zviad Gabisonia, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, who highlighted the importance of developing national capacities in the field of artificial intelligence. He noted that it is important for the state to support initiatives that foster international cooperation in science and innovation, promote the professional development of young researchers, and facilitate Georgia’s integration into the European Research Area. The Deputy Minister thanked the FORGE-AI project team for their efforts and expressed his hope that the project will deliver tangible results and practical recommendations that can be effectively utilized within the education system.

During the event, the project partner organizations presented the results of their activities and achievements from the first year of implementation, as well as their vision and plans for the future. The meeting also featured presentations on the activities being carried out under the project’s third work package, “Adjustment of National Research Practices and Funding Instruments.” Participants discussed the process of developing policy documents aimed at promoting innovation-driven research, strengthening mechanisms for intersectoral career development, and improving national research funding instruments.

The FORGE-AI project is funded under the Horizon Europe programme and aims to strengthen Georgia’s research and innovation system in the field of artificial intelligence, enhance the capacities of young researchers and research managers, promote international and cross-sectoral cooperation, and deepen Georgia’s integration into the European Research Area.

The Horizon Europe-funded FORGE-AI project officially launched with a two-day kick-off meeting held in Tbilisi, Georgia, on July 3–4, 2025. The event brought together all project partners from Georgia, Armenia and the EU to initiate collaboration, align on strategic objectives and define the next steps for implementation. Hosted by the Niko Muskhelishvili Institute of Computational Mathematics (MICM) of the Georgian Technical University, the meeting marked the formal start of FORGE-AI (FOsteRing innovation culture for a new generation of GEorgian AI research community). a three-year initiative aimed at strengthening Georgia’s AI research capabilities and integrating them more closely with the European research ecosystem.

Representatives from all partner institutions, including the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Saarland University, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU), Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), Georgian AI Association (GAIA), YerevaNN Research Lab and others, participated in the launch. Each organization presented its role, expertise and planned contributions to the project.

Over the two days, partners reviewed the project work plan in detail, discussed upcoming deliverables and set a shared strategic vision. Key topics included the international secondment program, cross-sector collaboration strategies and the development of a knowledge-sharing platform to support Georgian AI researchers. The kick-off also served as an opportunity to build alignment on project values and long-term impact goals, with an emphasis on sustainable policy change, capacity-building, and creating better career pathways for young AI researchers in Georgia and Armenia.

As the project begins implementation, the FORGE-AI consortium looks forward to working closely across borders and sectors to help shape a more connected, skilled, and innovative AI research community in the region.