Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has officially confirmed that Ethiopia will undertake radical constitutional amendments based on the outcomes and recommendations of the recently concluded national dialogue.

Addressing members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives following his re-election, the Prime Minister emphasized that inclusive governance and cooperative political participation will serve as the cornerstone of his administration’s new legislative and executive term.

Highlighting the delicate balance of the nation’s political landscape, Prime Minister Abiy stated that Ethiopia’s political sphere must grow on a foundation of constructive cooperation and competition. Extending an open invitation to opposition and competing political parties—particularly those active in the electoral process—the administration reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate closely for the greater national interest.

The journey toward these structural reforms stems from extensive multi-year groundwork. Established in late 2021, the Ethiopian Dialogue Commission (ENDC) spent more than four years conducting wide-ranging agenda-gathering sessions and stakeholder consultations across regional states and city administrations. This extensive consultative phase culminated in an official national dialogue summit held in Addis Ababa, which brought together nearly 4,000 delegates over a rigorous 38-day period.

The summit centered on core pillars, including nation-building fundamentals, state structure and federalism, human rights and civil liberties, the rule of law and judicial independence, economic development and equity, good governance and institutional transparency, peace, security, social reconciliation, and working languages and cultural identity.

Following the conclusion of the summit, roughly 400 comprehensive recommendations spanning political, constitutional, economic, and social spheres were compiled. On October 3, 2026, these policy frameworks and recommendations were formally handed over to the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the federal government, and regional state administrations. Prime Minister Abiy hailed the milestone, noting, “This document handover marks a significant milestone in the national dialogue process and reaffirms our commitment to resolving Ethiopia’s long-term national challenges through inclusive dialogue, peaceful consultation, and our own home-grown problem-solving values.”

The recommendations directly address core tenets of the 1995 FDRE Constitution, which established Ethiopia’s ethnic federalist model. Among the most profound proposed adjustments is a potential transition from the current parliamentary republic system to a presidential system, featuring a single, non-renewable six-year executive term. Another monumental and heavily debated proposal involves amending Article 39, which constitutionally grants “nations, nationalities, and peoples” the absolute right to self-determination, including unconditional secession. Critics of the current setup have long argued that ethnic federalism has exacerbated identity-based conflicts, border disputes, and power struggles. Conversely, proponents of the reform argue that diluting the political weight of ethnic lines in favor of civic-based nationalism and stronger national cohesion will help suppress regional friction while maintaining local self-administration.

During the handover ceremony, Chief Commissioner Professor Mesfin Araya emphasized that the dialogue demonstrated Ethiopians’ capacity to engage in civil discourse, narrow their differences, and reach consensus on shared national issues. Professor Mesfin stated that the ideas and outcomes presented hold immense value for the country’s political practice and sustainable nation-building, and pledged they would be actively implemented on the ground.

As part of the second Moscow Startup Summit, international thought leaders discussed how artificial intelligence, robotics and new approaches to leadership will transform business and society. Leadership expert and bestselling author Robin Sharma presented his vision of leadership in the age of AI, Carlo Rovelli, Professor at Aix-Marseille University, spoke about the role of uncertainty in generating new ideas, while Ling Shao, President and Chief AI Officer of Terminus Group, outlined key areas for the development of robotics and physical AI. The second Moscow Startup Summit was held on September 29–30 at SberCity, on the campus of School 21.

Three Perspectives on the Future

Robin Sharma spoke about the role of leaders in the age of artificial intelligence. He presented the H.U.M.A.N. concept, based on a paradox: the more technology is used in business, the more human leaders need to be.

According to Sharma, artificial intelligence should support people, while technology should remain a tool rather than become a substitute for human qualities.

The H.U.M.A.N. formula comprises five principles: humility that grows with success; the ability to become stronger amid volatility; mastery of creating what did not exist before; awareness beyond the capabilities of robots; and the willingness to act in the face of ridicule in order to change the world.

Sharma also warned against the “one genius and a thousand followers” model. In his view, great companies build organizations with many independent and creative people. For startup founders, the expert recommended not confusing being busy with being productive, replacing excessive corporate jargon with stories, regularly setting aside time for generating ideas, and practicing digital detoxes.

Carlo Rovelli, Professor at Aix-Marseille University and one of the founders of loop quantum gravity, said that mistakes and uncertainty are a necessary part of the path to new ideas. According to him, clinging to familiar assumptions hinders progress, while new ideas emerge from accumulated knowledge and from working at the boundary between what is known and what remains unknown.

Ling Shao, President and Chief AI Officer of Terminus Group, took part in a discussion on technologies for smart cities. According to him, the company has already built several smart cities, including three major projects in China, representing integrated infrastructure that functions as a single organism.

Robots could become an important element of smart cities, the expert noted. In his view, the development of physical AI should not be limited to large language models: working with the real world also requires latent knowledge, common sense and intuition.

Ling Shao identified three areas for the development of robotics: understanding the world, self-evolution and autonomy. In his view, the next breakthrough will come in this field.

“CoFounder” — A Tool for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

As part of the Moscow Startup Summit, Sber also presented CoFounder, a digital assistant for aspiring technology entrepreneurs. Powered by GigaChat, the service is also designed for users without business experience or programming skills.

The assistant guides users through different stages of developing a technology project, from finding an idea and testing hypotheses to learning vibe coding, building a prototype in GigaStudio and preparing a pitch deck for investors. Personalized learning paths are complemented by curated video lectures and analytical materials.

The service uses educational materials from leading Chinese universities, primarily the School of Management at Fudan University. Chinese experts also helped develop the assistant’s educational logic. Users who complete the program will be able to receive an official educational certificate from partner universities, including Fudan University.

Alexey Katkov, Senior Vice President and Director of Sberbank’s Advanced Investments Center, noted that over the past six years, solo founders have accounted for more than one-third of new technology companies. According to him, the digital assistant is intended to serve as a single entry point into technology entrepreneurship, from testing market hypotheses to writing the first line of code.

Technology Awards

The second Moscow Startup Summit concluded with the presentation of the Technology Awards established by the Government of Moscow and Sber.

This year, around 2,000 applications were submitted from 76 Russian regions, 15% more than in 2025. The “Best AI-Powered Solution” category was the most popular, accounting for almost 70% of all submitted projects.

A new feature this year was a special award for the “Best GigaAgent Implementation Case.” It was open to teams that used the service to develop solutions aimed at improving the efficiency of work processes. The award went to the creators of a digital dictionary of the Ingush language.

The second Moscow Startup Summit brought together international experts, technology entrepreneurs and business representatives to discuss how artificial intelligence, robotics and emerging technologies will shape the future of industries, cities and entrepreneurship.

Startups and breakthrough technologies are transforming industries and the urban environment, helping to scale solutions and turn technology into tangible gains in productivity, resilience and quality of life. These were the issues discussed by experts and participants at the second Moscow Startup Summit, dedicated to technological entrepreneurship and open innovation.

The second Moscow Startup Summit was held on September 29–30 at SberCity, on the campus of School 21. The event was organized by the Government of Moscow and Sber. Technology entrepreneurs, investors, representatives of major businesses, the academic community and relevant government agencies from Russia and 21 other countries attended the event. The summit’s online broadcasts received 50 million views.

More than 150 Russian and international speakers took part in the business program. In addition to panel discussions, the program included pitch sessions, an exhibition featuring more than 100 startups, and a technology award ceremony. One of the organizers’ objectives was to accelerate the adoption of new developments and facilitate deals between investors, corporations and technology companies.

International Sber500 Final

One of the key events of the second Moscow Startup Summit was the final of the seventh cohort of the international Sber500 accelerator. More than 1,800 applications from 52 countries were submitted for the program, with 25 teams from Russia, India and South Korea selected for the final program.

As part of the Demo Day, the finalists presented their technologies to investors, experts and major corporations. The startups operate in five areas: medicine and biotechnology, education and creative industries, agriculture and food, construction and urban development, and smart devices and robotics.

Around 85% of the finalists use artificial intelligence, including generative models, while 20 teams are deep-tech startups. The solutions presented included 3D bioprinting of collagen membranes, robotic electronics testing, an AI platform for developing new plant varieties, and five-axis 3D printing of composite components.

Herman Gref, President and Chairman of the Executive Board of Sberbank, said that Sber was ready to provide funded teams with access to laboratories and construction sites to test their technologies.

For the first time, a Neurocode neuroheadset developed by one of the Sber500 participants was used at the Demo Day. The device recorded the brain activity of jury members and showed how their attention and interest changed during the pitches.

Innovation and Technology Exhibition

At the startup exhibition held as part of the Moscow Startup Summit, teams from Russia, India and South Korea presented practical solutions for key areas of the economy. Their technologies demonstrated how artificial intelligence and engineering solutions can help address specific challenges in healthcare, agriculture and other industries.

Indian startup XpressCBC has developed a portable analyzer that performs a five-part complete blood count from a finger-prick blood sample in approximately 5–10 minutes without the need for a central laboratory. The device measures at least 18 parameters and markers. The solution is designed for outpatient clinics, rural clinics and mobile medical units, where, due to sample transportation and a lack of laboratories or specialists, patients may otherwise have to wait hours or days for test results.

Another Indian startup, eVerse.AI, presented a system for dairy farms. ConnectedCow collars monitor the health and activity of cows, while the GreenCow sensor measures methane emissions. A digital measurement, reporting and verification system shows how changes in feeding have helped reduce emissions and prepares data for carbon programs. The solution is designed for dairy cooperatives, large farms and government programs.

Russian team ELVIS V is developing an electronic vision system for people who have completely lost their sight. A camera and artificial intelligence process images of the surrounding environment, while a neural implant transmits signals directly to the visual cortex and creates light-based representations of objects. The technology is designed for people aged 18–50 who previously had sight, have completely lost their vision and do not benefit from conventional corrective devices.

The second Moscow Startup Summit brought international technology teams together with investors, experts and major businesses. The projects presented at the event demonstrated a wide range of practical applications for artificial intelligence, engineering technologies and deep-tech solutions.