On May 14, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan awarded the Republic of Armenia’s State Prize for Global Contribution in the Field of High Technologies to Japanese scientist Yoshiaki Damon Hagivara, founder of the AIPLAB consortium and head of the LOCOMTEC AIPS laboratory for AI-based systems.

The ceremony marked the 15th edition of the award. Attendees included President Vahagn Khachaturyan, representatives of the legislative and executive branches, and various guests.

Pashinyan emphasized the award’s national significance as a gesture of Armenia’s respect for individuals who have greatly influenced the shaping of contemporary reality.

"This is also, in some ways, a format of our participation in global processes that we consider extremely important. Of course, visits by such prominent figures to Armenia and their engagement with our students, business community, and tech sector provide additional impetus to our own technological development. The award ceremony also helps us assess and validate our strategic vision in technology and education. That is an important aspect I wish to highlight," said Pashinyan.

He also noted a recurring pattern among laureates, who often cite their school years as foundational to their success. "All our guests tend to recall a moment from their school days after achieving success, which again underscores the critical importance of educational infrastructure—a top priority for our government. We are implementing serious programs across preschool, general, higher, and post-graduate education, as well as in science and technology," he added.

Yoshiaki Hagivara expressed gratitude for the recognition of his scientific work and for receiving Armenia’s national award. He stressed the importance of technological development and the consistent implementation of educational initiatives.

During a separate meeting with the Prime Minister, Hagivara noted that he was particularly impressed by his interactions with Armenian youth. He said the visit revealed their deep interest in high technology and its development prospects.

In 1992, Hagivara served on the JEDEC memory standardization committee and chaired the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) TC47 technical committee. He has been a program and operations committee member for IEEE EDS’s ICMTS and IEEE SSCS’s ISSCC conferences, also chairing the ISSCC Asia Committee and leading its international technical programs.

Hagivara has been a visiting professor at the California Institute of Technology, Gunma University in Japan, and a full professor at Sojo University in Kyushu, where he now holds a special appointment in the university president’s office.

In 2008, he founded the AIPLAB consortium and currently leads LOCOMTEC AIPS laboratory, focusing on AI-driven robotics for clean energy and sustainable development. He has also chaired the education committee of the Semiconductor Industry Specialists Association and remains an active member. Hagivara is an honorary Caltech alumnus, a member of the AAIA, and a contributor to various IEEE councils, including superconductivity, nanotechnology, sensors, and systems.