This information was revealed at a press conference held at the Gulshan Club in the capital on Thursday (July 23) by the Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Md. Anwar Hossain.
He informed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will be present as the chief guest and officially inaugurate the summit on July 25 (Saturday) at 10:00 AM at the Bangladesh National Museum Planetarium in Dhaka.
Organized jointly by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association (BSIA), and the Silicon River Bangladesh program, the conference will see participation from government policymakers, top executives of the international semiconductor industry, researchers, university representatives, entrepreneurs, investors, and expatriate Bangladeshi technologists.
At the press conference, the Secretary said that in today's world, a technology-driven economy is the main driver of prosperity. In that reality, the government is working with the goal of transforming Bangladesh into an innovation-based and high-tech capable economy. To this end, the strategic vision titled "Science to Economy: Building a Market-Linked, Innovation-Driven Bangladesh" is being implemented.
He informed that the government's vision is built on four main pillars: STEM and human resource development, Research to Market (R2M), Innovation to Market (I2M), and Frontier Technologies. Under this, initiatives have been taken to increase capabilities in semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, robotics, and space research.
The Secretary further informed that work is underway to establish a National AI Institute through the coordination of government, industry, and academia. Additionally, there are plans to organize the Bangladesh National Innovation Fair 2026 for the first time in September.
The summit will feature participation from international-level technology experts. Among them are Dr. Ahmed Bahai, Chief Technology Officer of Texas Instruments, and Professor Dimitrios Peroulis, Senior Vice President of Purdue University. Additionally, representatives from GlobalFoundries, NXP, Applied Materials, Sandisk, Credo, and the Vietnam Semiconductor Alliance will also participate.
Over the two-day event, 11 plenary sessions and multiple strategic panel discussions will cover topics such as Bangladesh's semiconductor ecosystem, skilled workforce development, commercialization of research, global partnerships, advanced manufacturing systems, deep-tech industries, startups, and technology-driven entrepreneurship development.
Alongside the summit, the BEAR Innovation Expo 2026 will be held. It will showcase various deep-tech innovations invented by students, researchers, and startup entrepreneurs, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics, health technology, and intelligent systems. The expo will feature a total of 35 exhibition stalls.
At the press conference, the Science and Technology Secretary appealed to the media, saying the role of the media is extremely important in highlighting the new potential of Bangladesh's high-tech sector to the people of the country. He urged widespread coverage of the summit and expo events scheduled for July 25 and 26.
It is noteworthy that the Post, Telecommunications, ICT, and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Enam and the Prime Minister's Advisor on Telecommunications, Information Technology, and Science Rehan Asif Asad will be present as special guests at the inaugural ceremony. Additionally, the keynote paper will be presented by Professor Muhammad Mostafa Hussain, Professor at Purdue University and Chief Architect of the Silicon River Initiative, and M. A. Jabbar, President of the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association.
