Brussels — Officials, entrepreneurs and tech leaders from Nepal and the European Union (EU) have called for closer cooperation between Nepal and the EU in the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) sector.

 They noted that Nepal is an emerging hub for digital innovation and cross-border technology partnerships.

The Forum, that was organised at the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS), on Monday brought together  policymakers, investors and industry leaders. Organised by the Embassy of Nepal in Brussels in collaboration with Genese Solution, Nepal–EU Tech Forum 2026  brought together representatives from European institutions, leading tech companies, investors and members of the Nepali diaspora to explore opportunities in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

Held under the theme “Unlocking Digital Innovation and Investment,” the event focused on strengthening collaboration between Nepal and Europe in areas such as foreign direct investment (FDI), digital talent mobility and innovation partnerships.

In her opening remarks, Nepal’s Ambassador to the European Union, Sewa Lamsal, said Nepal is ready to accelerate its digital transformation and welcomes increased investment in the technology sector. She highlighted the country’s growing IT service exports and a rising pool of skilled professionals as key advantages in meeting Europe’s demand for digital services.

Delivering a keynote address on the theme “Nepal’s Digital Ecosystem: Talent, Innovation & Partnership Opportunities,”  Anjani Phuyal, CEO of Genese Solution – a UK-based value IT and cybersecurity consulting firm,  said that there was one million-plus talent shortage across Europe. Rising cost of digital delivery and increasing compliance requirements made European companies to look for talents around the world including in South Asia.

Mr Phuyal said that clean hydro-powered energy and low-cost compute potential have made an ideal destination for partnership in the ICT sector. “Nepal offers clean compute hub with an AI-ready energy base by converting energy into digital value,” said Mr Phuyal adding, “cross-border delivery from Nepal is already active and global companies are already building and scaling teams from Nepal.”

Mr Phuyal, who is also an AWS Ambassador for the UK and Ireland, noted that Nepali companies now have strong participation in global digital platforms. He emphasized on the readiness of Nepal’s tech sector for a long-term partnership with European companies.

 Presenting on European digital policy, Alvis Ancans of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology outlined the EU’s focus on digital sovereignty, data protection, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity under its “Digital Decade” agenda.

Senior Nepali officials, including Investment Board Nepal CEO Sushil Gyewali and Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Communication, Information and Technology Adesh Khadka, addressed the forum virtually, highlighting recent policy and regulatory reforms aimed at attracting foreign investment and advancing digital transformation.

Panel discussions

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 panelists included  Alexander Sleigh, COO at Ireland-based Kimber Ltd; Ms Shweta Thapa Shrestha, Security Lead at AWS, Spain; Milan Adhikari, Co-Founder at RenewMe, Brussels; and Rohit Kumar Upadhyay, MD at RiskAI Technologies GmbH, Germany. The panel was moderated by 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 of Genese Solution, Anjani Phuyal. The panelists included Ms. Kay Kadel, CEO at KCL Digital, UK; Nirajan Pokharel, IT Engineer at ABN AMRO Bank, Brussels;  Jay Poudel, CTO at The Whiskey Exchange, UK;  Jeroen van der Horst, CEO at Proshore Limited, the Netherlands and 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.  Dipesh Subedi from Nepalese Businessmen’s Association (NEBAB) in Belgium gave a brief presentation on Nepali 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 Artifical Intelligence (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, Ambassador Lamsal thanked the audience for their active participation throughout different sessions. She requested for 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 and experts graced the occasion and contributed to the Forum. The program also featured authentic Nepali cuisine in a warm, cordial and friendly environment.