Alongside Prime Minister Edi Rama, the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, who was also present at the event, referred to “Plug and Play” as another station that will bring these innovative services closer to Albanian youth. He emphasized that the Municipality of Tirana would be the main donor of this project.

“I want to extend my thanks to the French Embassy and all our colleagues in Paris. The highlight today is ‘Plug and Play.’ The Municipality of Tirana will contribute 1.8 million euros to the project, with additional funding from the government, through various ministries collaborating. There will also be partners from the business sector, but I am proud that we are the main donors. Alongside AADF, this has been a project we’ve incubated here at the Municipality of Tirana for several years. At last, we’ve made it a reality,” said Veliaj.

The mayor highlighted that Tirana is experiencing a significant transformation in innovation, technology, and tourism. He urged the city’s youth, as well as others, to make the most of these spaces, which offer a solid platform for talent in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Tirana now generates 25% of its economic output from digital work and another 25% from tourism. This was unimaginable just 10 years ago. So, I’m glad we have this opportunity, and we still have space and capacity for young people, especially those from rural areas: Kamza is just on the other side of the river, and Elbasan is only 25 minutes away. The invitation is for everyone: for children aged 12 to 18, it’s free, please sign up. We still have spots available for this new semester, which has already begun, and will continue throughout the summer,” he said.

Veliaj expressed pride in “Plug and Play” joining the thriving community at the Pyramid and emphasized that Tirana will host various events, as a testimony to the city’s progress and transformation.

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On the margins of this summit, they met with the founder and CEO of Plug & Play, Saeed Amidi, one of the largest accelerators in the world.

Minister Ibrahimaj informed that during the meeting they discussed the possibility of introducing this platform at the pyramid center in Tirana.
“The presence of Plug & Play in Albania will help in the development of startups and further promotion of innovation in the country,” Ibrahimaj said.
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