Durana Tech Park, now a reality, stands as a center of innovation and excellence—an advanced platform that supports and empowers tech companies, startups, academic institutions, and digital nomads. It brings together under one roof the best opportunities from the world of innovation with the energy and creativity of the Albanian spirit.
With cutting-edge infrastructure, strong fiscal incentives, and a vibrant collaborative ecosystem, Durana is designed to become the epicenter of technology and innovation—not only in Albania but across the region.
In a special ceremony attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama, certificates were awarded to the first official residents of the Park—applicants who successfully passed the evaluation phases and are now part of this emerging ecosystem. The first cohort includes: 24 companies, 6 startups, 2 digital nomads, and 2 academic institutions.
The application process to become part of Durana Tech Park will remain open on an ongoing basis.
* * *
Prime Minister Edi Rama:
I’m extremely pleased that today we have the first tangible product of a vision that once seemed quite utopian when we began working toward its realization—just as our goal to make Albania a leader in electronic public services once seemed utopian, something that is now a fact. The same goes for our belief that we could exponentially accelerate the negotiation process using Artificial Intelligence—something that is now happening. And just as another goal may seem utopian today—developing a model of Artificial Intelligence to carry out public procurements without human involvement—we are actively working on it. We have sufficiently optimistic data suggesting that such a model, which we believe would be the first of its kind to be implemented—at least as far as we’ve seen in Europe—will be ready and available by the end of next year or within that timeframe.
We are engaged in an intensive, day-to-day collaboration with Microsoft, and are now working with other countries as well. Just a few weeks ago, we hosted a workshop with representatives from 16 countries currently exploring this very product. We are confident that we will succeed in bringing it to life.
Today marks a turning point: Durana Tech Park becomes a living reality. What once existed only in plans and legislation is now taking shape—thanks to the many companies that have shown interest and, as of today, are receiving their official certificates as members of this emerging digital community.
But our primary goal is not simply to attract as many foreign companies as possible. Our true aim is to engage and empower as much Albanian talent as we can.
I’d like to take this moment to send a message to all the brilliant young women and men I had the privilege of meeting at a previous event in this very hall, where—together with the Minister for Entrepreneurship—we introduced the new support program for startup winners and applicants.
To all of you, I say this: Durana Tech Park is, above all, built for you.
It’s a destination designed for Albanian talent—for the young people living here in Albania, and for those abroad. By registering in this park, you gain a unique status and access to a world of opportunities—with every possible facilitation and support to help you succeed.
To bring Durana Tech Park to life, we conducted an extensive analysis of technology parks across Europe and the globe. We carefully examined European legislation, studied how these parks have operated in other countries, identified their strengths and weaknesses, and assessed what has proven most effective and what hasn’t. I believe we’ve succeeded in creating a truly unique framework—one that draws on the best international models while actively avoiding the common pitfalls others have encountered.
Today, this park is not just a project—it represents the forward momentum of a digital revolution that will continue to unfold, step by step, with growing intensity.
Very soon, we will unveil the next phase of Artificial Intelligence integration in public services. We’re preparing to move beyond the current digital assistant on e-Albania, which only provides voice-guided instructions to users, and shift to an entirely new level—where the assistant will actually perform the service itself.
In practical terms, this means the assistant will no longer simply say, “click here” or “enter that.” Instead, it will take a voice command from the user and carry out the full-service process independently.
What has truly been a pleasant surprise for us, as we look at the interest shown in becoming part of Durana Tech Park’s digital community, is not just the number of foreign companies or the diversity of their origins—ranging from the United States to Estonia, from France to Germany, and even as far as Asia. What stands out even more is another aspect: the growing interest from academic institutions, including highly reputable universities across Europe.
We are already in the process of engaging with three well-known Italian universities, and interest continues to grow from others as well. This development encourages us to revisit and envision the regulatory framework—so that we can create space within this digital ecosystem for academic institutions to actively participate, particularly in the field of scientific research.
Meanwhile, as we’ve previously announced, we are engaged in a close partnership with France—a country that has now taken the lead in innovation and Artificial Intelligence on the global stage. Part of this collaboration with France includes the development of Durana Tech Park as a destination for European companies—specifically, companies from the European Union—to establish a presence that serves EU interests and contributes to the advancement of European technology.
We are creating a supportive environment for these companies at a time when the EU is undergoing a necessary process of deregulation—particularly for businesses operating in the tech sector. What we are offering is a space where these companies can continue to operate within Europe, in the heart of Europe, in a region surrounded by EU borders, and produce value for the European Union.Our goal is to very soon generate over 5,000 job opportunities for tech experts and young professionals—positions that come with significantly higher salaries than those typically found in our market. And let me be clear: we’re talking about salaries that are considerably above the national average.
We aim to increase our exports and national revenue by approximately 3.5 billion euros over the next two decades from this initiative alone—an estimate we have thoroughly studied and validated together with our French partners in a comprehensive joint analysis. We also project that state budget revenues generated from this initiative, during the same period, will exceed half a billion euros, which is a truly significant figure.
Finally, I want to once again speak directly to all the young men and women working in this sector—to all those who spend their days in front of a computer, to those who dream of reaching the highest peaks, to those who, through hard work and knowledge in technology, have planted the first seeds of a small venture. I urge you to see Durana Tech Park as your homeland within our greater homeland—the homeland of a digital society, with entirely different conditions and a completely different set of rules tailored specifically to how the minds of people in this field work.
I don’t know exactly how those minds work—but I do know they function in truly admirable ways. And I also know this: it’s far better to have these people on your side than against you—because when they turn against you, they become hackers, and when they become hackers, they become a real problem.
Thank you!
* * *
After officially awarding the certificates to the first residents of Durana Tech Park, Prime Minister Rama stated:
‘’I’d like to add that, in the meantime, we are preparing an absolutely top-tier infrastructure—matching Silicon Valley standards—in Vlora. Right in the center of the city, we are carrying out a complete transformation of an old building left over from the early days of the transition period. That site will soon open its doors as another hub, operating under the same legal framework as the Tech Park and offering Grade A physical spaces for anyone looking to establish their work practices there—always connected to technological development and fully integrated into this community.’’
