Heads of Azerbaijan's ICT fund and high-tech park appointed
By Nigar Orujova
Executive Director of Azerbaijan's State Fund for Information and Communication Technologies was appointed on Monday.
Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Ali Abbasov appointed Elchin Zeynalov, the Head of the Department of Strategic Planning, Investment and Scientific Potential of the ICT Ministry, to the position.
2013 was declared the ICT year in Azerbaijan. The action plan on the ICT year ensures the functioning of the State Fund for ICT Development, the High Technologies Park, Information Security Center, Virtual Qarabag ICT center, and IT University.
The Fund was established to implement the state policy on development and support of small enterprise in the scientific and technical fields, providing them with direct financial assistance and personnel training, which in turn will help to create new jobs.
The Fund envisions three mechanisms of financing - investments, grants and credits. Priority will be given to export-oriented projects. Grants will be awarded primarily for the development of innovative ideas after detailed study.
Elchin Zeynalov said work on legal and organizational issues related to the functioning of the State Fund is underway.
This pertains to the legal documents indicated in the Fund's bylaws, as well as hiring personnel of the Fund. After completion of the work, the Fund will begin financing ICT projects as well as holding grant contests.
Earlier Zeynalov said the Fund may start financing "start-ups" in the next few months. Financial support for "start-ups" and creative ideas contribute to the development of the ICT in the country, he believes.
The ICT minister also appointed the chairman of the Azerbaijan-Turkey Business Association Seymur Agayev as head of the State High Technologies Park.
According to the ministry, the staff of the park will be formed in the near future. Under the plans, the construction of the park will start by the year-end.
Earlier in April, the ICT ministry said that work on the construction of a high-tech park had started. The High Tech Park was established in the country last November.
The high-tech park is supposed to be a territory which has the necessary infrastructure, logistics, management structures for the development of new and high technologies, research in the field of energy efficiency, space and telecommunications, information technologies and communications.
The park will be located near the capital Baku and a relevant location spanning 20 hectares was allocated by the state for this purpose.
In the future, local and foreign ICT companies will be involved in the park's activity. Research companies, startup project developers and production enterprises will be based in the park area. The park's residents will enjoy favorable conditions. The park's participants will be tax and customs duty-exempt for seven years.