Azerbaijan, Latin American countries discuss cooperation in innovations

By Azernews

By Leman Mammadova

Azerbaijan takes serious steps for the development of the innovation ecosystem and startups.

In this regard, several agencies were created in the country to enhance innovative environment and widespread introduction of new technologies.

Luis Antonio Dimate Cardenas, Ambassador of Colombia to Azerbaijan, Maria Milagros Castanon Seoane, Peru's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, and Gabriel Jara, Charge d'Affaires of Chile in Azerbaijan, have visited Azerbaijan Innovation Agency.

The diplomats pointed out their interest in innovative development in Azerbaijan, ecosystems, the Agency’s activities, international relations and projects.

Tural Karimli, director of Azerbaijan's High Tech Park, briefed on the history of Azerbaijan's economic development, the activities of the Innovation Agency, work conducted in the regions, as well as successful startups and projects.

The meeting discussed the opportunities for cooperation, attraction of foreign startups, projects and investors to Azerbaijan, opportunities and procedures created for them.

The diplomats shared their views on innovation ecosystem in their countries, foreign experience in this direction, including successful and unsuccessful examples, and expressed readiness to cooperate with the Innovation Agency.

The Innovation Agency’s goal is to create a dynamic innovation system in the country that serves to transform ideas into products to get access to the market. Within this process, the main goal is to create conditions for the production and export of innovative and technological products under the “Made in Azerbaijan” brand.

Three projects by the Center for Business Incubation and Acceleration of the Innovation Agency are participating in Chile's Start-up Chile Acceleration Program.

As startups are mainly related to the application and development of new technologies, Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and High Technologies is taking important measures to support them.

Recently, a joint consortium has been established with the participation of the Innovation Agency under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, AzInTelecom LLC and companies Lenovo, Nutanix, and iQRex to ensure the participation of startups in tenders held by various government agencies and individual companies, as well as in important projects and to support them in this field.

The consortium will provide local startuppers with an opportunity to get access to various financial sources, to take part in important projects, including large and medium-sized tenders.

A strategy for innovative development will be created in the country. Boston Counsulting company has already been involved in this direction as an expert.