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Armenia’s
history richly illustrates all that can be done with
stones. Stone is used as building and ornament material.
Other stones, rocks, non-metallic minerals provide raw
materials for lime, cement, and ceramics.
 In
2008 ITPO Italy organized a study tour for two Armenian
Institutions: the Institute of Stones and Silicates, and
the Ministry of Education and Science, together with the
National Assembly.
As result
of this activity, the participating trainees:
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Got acquainted with world trends in the ceramics
industry at “TECNARGILLA”, the world’s leading
exhibition, in Rimini, and in stone processing at “MARMOMACC”,
focusing on the evolution of the use of stone and
stone design;
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Presented and exchanged views with the world’s
leading experts on new ceramic and stone-based
building materials produced in Armenia such as clay,
sand, perlite, diatomite, zeolite etc. and their
applications, during the technology transfer day;
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Learned how to organize large international events
and to establish contacts with the world’s leading
experts with a view to expand the outreach of the
promotional efforts of Armenian scientists and
industrialists;
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Learned UNIDO’s methodology of promoting investment
and technology transfer though formal training and
learning-by-doing, i.e. promoting some
products/projects themselves.
In fact,
this training activity was directly linked to investment
promotion as ITPO Italy supported, Dr. Mikael Hamamchyan
(Executive Director of the Institute of Stones and
Silicates), in the presentation of some specific
“industrial minerals” such as Perlite (volcanic glass)
and; “Sikley” (a sand-ceramic building material).
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