प्रेस विज्ञप्ति

Press Release

Nepal-EU Tech Forum 2026

The Embassy of Nepal in Brussels organized Nepal-EU Tech Forum 2026 today at the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS), in collaboration with Genese Solutions. Under the theme ‘Unlocking Digital Innovation and Investment’, the event brought together Nepali policymakers, representatives from EU, private investors, Honorary Consul Generals from Belgium and the Netherlands, representatives from leading European tech companies, professional Nepali diaspora and members of the media among others. Participants discussed the growing potential of Nepal in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector and engaged in dialogue on cross border investment, innovation and collaboration between Nepal and Europe, including diaspora mobilisation in the sector.

The Forum was structured into three segments—an inaugural session, two panel discussions, and a closing session—followed by a networking segment.

The inaugural session commenced with the lighting of the traditional lamp.            H.E. Ms. Sewa Lamsal, Ambassador of Nepal to BENELUX Countries and Head of Mission to the EU in her inaugural remarks, emphasized Nepal’s readiness for digital transformation and its openness to investment in the tech sector, aligning with priorities outlined in the 100-Point Governance Reform Agenda and the government’s national commitment document. She highlighted Nepal’s growing IT service exports and its pool of skilled digital professionals as key strengths. These assets, she noted, positioned Nepal to effectively respond to Europe’s increasing demand for digital talent and services.

Mr. Alvis Ancans from Directorate-General of European Commission for Communications, Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT), while presenting on EU Digital Policy, shed light on the digital agendas of EU, guided by Digital Decade, digital sovereignty, strong data protection, AI policy, cybersecurity, innovation, and a youthful and human centric digital economy.

Mr. Sushil Gyawali, CEO of the Investment Board Nepal and Mr. Adesh Khadka, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Communication, Information and Technology (MoCIT) delivered virtual remarks on the occasion. Mr. Gyawali gave a brief presentation on the legal, institutional and procedural reforms adopted by the Government to facilitate FDI in tech sector, while Mr. Khadka highlighted the policy of the Government of Nepal aimed at digital transformation across all sectors.

Mr. Anjani Phuyal, CEO of Genese Solution delivered a keynote speech in the session, providing data driven overview of Nepal’s tech sector. He emphasized on the readiness of Nepal’s tech sector for a long-term partnership with European companies.

The inaugural session was followed by two consecutive panel discussions. The theme of first panel discussion was FDI, Startups & Sustainable Digital Growth, where topics on investment readiness, cross-border partnerships and scalable digital infrastructure and collaboration were discussed. The panellists included Mr. Alexander Sleigh, COO at Kimber Limited based in Ireland; Ms Shweta Thapa Shrestha, Security Lead at AWS, Spain; Mr. Milan Adhikari, Co-Founder at RenewMe, Brussels; and Mr. Rohit Kumar Upadhyay, MD at RiskAI Technologies GmbH, Germany. The panel was moderated by Mr. Niranjan Kunwar-CTO & CISO at Genese Solution.

The second panel discussion was held under the theme “Diaspora, Talent & Cross-Border Innovation, where the discussion focused on diaspora engagement, talent mobility and practical collaboration models between Nepal and Europe. The panel was moderated by CEO Mr. Anjani Phuyal from Genese Solution. The panellists included Ms. Kay Kadel, CEO at KCL Digital, UK; Mr. Nirajan Pokharel, IT Engineer at ABN AMRO Bank, Brussels; Mr. Jay Poudel, CTO at The Whiskey Exchange, UK; Mr. Jeroen van der Horst, CEO at Proshore Limited, Netherlands and Mr. Leonce B. Ano, Managing Partner at Accurate Digital, France. Each panel discussion was followed by Question-and-Answer session, including insights and reflections from the audience. Mr. Dipesh Subedi from Nepalese Businessmen’s Association (NEBAB) in Belgium gave a brief presentation on Nepal’s diaspora as a strategic bridge.

During the closing session, key takeaways were highlighted which included the need to shift Nepal’s technology sector from potential to rapid execution, emphasizing a strong Nepal–EU synergy where Europe brings capital, market access, and standards, and Nepal offers scalable talent. While acknowledging existing constraints, participants noted improvements in the ease of doing business, removal of tech investment caps, and more streamlined profit repatriation. The Forum underscored the importance of university partnerships for sustainable talent development and the opportunity to leverage hydropower for green AI infrastructure. The attendees also stressed that the success will depend on building trust through compliance, developing domain expertise, and creating strong talent pipelines linking global companies with local firms across European markets, alongside replicating such forums to scale engagement and impact.

Concluding the Forum, H.E. Ms. Lamsal thanked the audience for their active participation throughout different sessions. She requested for their inputs in writing from the audience and expressed her commitment to communicate them to the competent authorities of Nepal. She also encouraged participants to stay connected with the Embassy and provide their valuable insights in regard to Nepal’s tech sector for next level engagement.

The closing included distribution of Certificate of Appreciation to speakers followed by a networking segment. Over 70 participants from different IT companies, professionals, students, experts graced the occasion and contributed to the Forum. The program also featured authentic Nepali cuisine in a warm, cordial and friendly environment.

Prior to the Forum, Ambassador Lamsal hosted an informal dinner at Nepal House in honour of the panellists to build rapport and engage in preliminary dialogues.

Embassy of Nepal

Brussels

27 April 2026