InnoWeek – Innovation Week to be held in Azerbaijan

A press conference was held in connection with the InnoWeek - Innovation Week, which will be held in Azerbaijan for the second time on October 18-24 this year.

It was noted that conferences, forums and exhibitions reflecting the latest innovations in the field of high technologies and innovations will be organized within the project, which is implemented by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies jointly with Heydar Aliyev Center. The events are held jointly with the Regional Development Public Association of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azerbaijan Youth Foundation, Innovation Agency, the United Nations Development Programme, as well as companies Azercell and Microsoft.

As part of InnoWeek - Innovation Week, the republican final of the project I2B – From Idea to Business will take place on October 18. The best winners of startup tours held in Baku and regions in 2019 will be determined. A jury consisting of specialists will evaluate the finalists’ projects according to criteria such as uniqueness of idea, market potential, the period of return on investment, the time required to develop a preliminary service / prototype, the ability of the team to implement the idea. Organizers and partners will provide the winners of the first three places with financial support to turn their ideas into business.

On October 19, the Roboday exhibition will be organized as part of the Robopark project of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies. During the exhibition, trainings on working with robots will be held, stands equipped with a zone of application and entertainment in the field of robotics will function. With a view to contributing to the development of innovative IT engineers and increasing interest in future technologies in this area from an early age, information on educational programs STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) will be presented, robot shows will also take place.

One of the significant events to be held within InnoWeek - Innovation Week is the 2nd Baku E-Trade Forum (BEF-2019), which will be held on October 21-22. The two-day forum will bring together representatives of international organizations, government agencies, public organizations, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, investors, experts and startuppers. The event will include sessions in various areas of electronic commerce. The forum will bring together leaders in the field of e-commerce, well-known specialists and experts of e-commerce and online payment platforms who will discuss the latest trends and positive experiences in this area.

On October 22, a round table on “Political View of the Innovation Ecosystem” will be organized by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The event will bring together representatives of the innovation ecosystem – heads of government and non-governmental organizations, agencies, incubation and acceleration centers and other relevant organizations.

Another significant event to be held within the Innovation Week will be Euroasia Innovation Day. This dialogue platform, which will be organized on October 23 together with Huawei, will bring together politicians, representatives of the private sector and scientists.

Another event to be held on October 23 is the Innovation Awards Gala, where winners will be announced in the categories Startup of the Year, Influencer of the Year, Innovation Event of the Year, Innovation Project of the Year and Representative of the Innovation Ecosystem of the Year. They will be awarded the Azerbaijan Innovation Award. Note that the Azerbaijan Innovation Award was established with the motto “Innovative Azerbaijan” to support local ecosystem players in order to be among the leaders in the global innovation ecosystem.

 The Kaspersky Security Day platform will be held on October 24, the last day of the Innovation Week. The event to be jointly organized by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies and Kaspersky Lab, will bring together representatives of government agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, universities and research institutes.

It should be noted that all the events within the InnoWeek - Innovation Week will be held at Heydar Aliyev Center.