Startup Days to be held in Azerbaijan soon
By Rashid Shirinov
The next Startup Days will be held on June 29 and 30 at the Baku State Center for Vocational Education in Engineering and Technology, Chairman of Azerbaijan Internet Forum (AIF) Osman Gunduz told Trend on June 25.
He noted that the preparatory work is already underway, and a meeting with the students of the Center is expected soon.
The event will be held with the support of the High Tech Park and the State Fund for Development of Information Technologies of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies.
The purpose of the Startup Days is to assist students in startup development and to render methodological support in this direction for them. Within two days, students will meet with the owners of local startups, well-known experts and heads of local IT companies. Training on the topic of presentation of startups, development of projects and prototypes will be organized for students.
There will also be a competition of students’ ideas and projects. Students, having formed teams on innovative business ideas, with the help of mentors and experts will develop primary versions of their projects that will be evaluated by the jury.
In general, the State Fund for Development of Information Technologies has financed more than 112 startup projects in Azerbaijan, and roughly 20 of them turned into real businesses and attracted investments. The strategic goal for the government is to turn the country into an IT center and increase the number of relevant products and services.
ICT is considered to be one of the crucial spheres for the further development of Azerbaijan's economy and an integral part of the economic and political reforms which are currently implemented in the country. The income to be obtained in the sector in Azerbaijan is projected to hit $9 billion by 2020.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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