Georgia has opened a new technology hub in Kutaisi, transforming the former parliament building into what officials say is the country's largest innovation and startup facility.
The Technohub, operated by Georgia's Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), was officially opened on 24 July by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili. The opening ceremony featured a drone display and was attended by government officials, diplomats, local authorities and representatives of the Georgian Patriarchate.
The building had stood largely vacant since parliament returned to Tbilisi in 2019. Kobakhidze said the site, once "a symbol of corruption under the previous government", would now serve as "a regional centre of knowledge, innovation and technological development".
The facility brings together several elements of Georgia's technology and education strategy under one roof. It includes the country's largest technopark, an interactive science and technology museum, an artificial intelligence computing centre, startup workspaces, and laboratories dedicated to robotics, electronics, drones and 3D printing.
It also houses a branch of TUMO, an international education programme for school-age children focused on creative technologies, which currently operates in more than 20 countries.
Speaking at the opening, Kvrivishvili said the goal was for Georgia to become not only a consumer of new technology but also a country that develops it. She said Kutaisi was chosen because of the city's recent development, highlighting its international airport and Kutaisi International University as key assets that would support the hub.
Once fully operational, the hub is expected to host a continuous programme of startup incubators, pre-accelerators, hackathons, innovation camps and training courses for participants of all ages from across Georgia and the wider region, rather than Kutaisi alone.
The Kutaisi hub is the latest stage in a technopark programme that GITA has been developing since 2014. Nine technoparks already operate across Georgia, providing support for entrepreneurs developing early-stage business ideas. Since 2018, the agency has reported investing around $14 million in approximately 240 startups.
Officials have presented the Kutaisi project as a regional initiative since it was first announced. In February 2025, Deputy Economy Minister Irakli Nadareishvili described the site as significant "not solely for Georgia, but for the wider region", citing both its scale and the range of functions it brings together under one roof.
Although the Kutaisi hub is not directly linked to the initiative, Georgia has also been pursuing a longer-term ambition to position itself as a digital connectivity hub between Europe and Asia. Under its National Broadband Development Strategy, the government has identified the creation of a digital hub and the development of submarine digital connectivity between the EU and Asia as strategic priorities.
Georgia already offers tax incentives designed to attract IT companies, including zero corporate tax and no VAT for businesses operating under its Virtual Zone status, as well as reduced tax rates for foreign companies that qualify for International Company Status.
Whether the Kutaisi hub significantly strengthens Georgia's position as a regional technology centre will ultimately depend on how many startups and companies choose to establish themselves there once the facility is fully operational.
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