Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture discussed at the Institute of Information Technology

Academician Rasim Alguliyev, Vice-President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) and Director General of the Institute of Information Technology of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan,  spoke at expanded meeting of the Institute’s Scientific Council, where he shared his views on the issues discussed at a meeting dedicated to the unified action plan on “Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture,” chaired by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev. The academician emphasized that the event addressed issues of strategic importance for the country’s sustainable development. He noted that the goals, objectives, and prospects related to the implementation of the unified action plan were comprehensively discussed during the meeting. Academician Alguliyev underscored that the President’s speech focused on key priorities that will ensure Azerbaijan’s digital development advances to a new stage.
“Currently, the independent Azerbaijani state is at a stage of consistently and purposefully implementing its crucial foreign policy priorities,” the academician stated. He assessed the large-scale modernization processes being carried out in the country, the restoration and reconstruction efforts underway in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, the deepening of economic reforms across all sectors, and the adoption of strategies reflecting the priorities of the new state policy as clear indicators of sustainable and systematic development in Azerbaijan.
The Vice-President of the ANAS stated that the development of advanced technologies emerging under the influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and artificial intelligence has become a central component of state policy. He noted that recently, President Ilham Aliyev has approved several significant strategic documents in this field. Rasim Alguliyev emphasized that the “Information Security and Cybersecurity Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2023–2027,” the “Digital Development Concept in the Republic of Azerbaijan,” and the “Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025–2028” have set important tasks for relevant state bodies, as well as for scientists and experts.
The academician stated that the increasing prominence of artificial intelligence and digital transformation issues in international legal documents recently has laid the foundation for a new stage of development worldwide. In this regard, he noted that President Ilham Aliyev, by thoroughly analyzing current global and regional realities, has elevated digital development, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity to the level of strategic priorities of state policy and has implemented purposeful measures within the framework of economic sustainability and technological sovereignty.
The scholar noted that, despite the significant expansion of digitalization and informatization processes in the country over the past 20 years and the increased opportunities for citizens to use ICT, a certain level of fragmentation still exists in this field. He emphasized that the main goal of developing a new digital architecture is to address these issues, ensure synchronized and harmonious operations, establish a unified and integrated digital environment, and, ultimately, strengthen the state’s cyber sovereignty.
According to Academician Rasim Alguliyev, the "Concept of Digital Development in the Republic of Azerbaijan"  adopted by President Ilham Aliyev in January 2025 can be considered the logical starting point for today’s approach, referred to as “Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture.” The concept envisages the centralized management of processes within state bodies, evaluation based on unified criteria, identification and elimination of existing gaps, and the assurance of harmonious development. “Digital transformation should serve the long-term strategic development of the state, not corporate interests. Therefore, professionalism, adherence to international standards, the regular application of monitoring and control mechanisms, prompt elimination of identified gaps, and effective coordination of all these processes are the core principles of the new digital architecture,” he stated.
The academician stated that the concept of “Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture” is multifaceted and conceptual. He also noted that digital architecture is not only about technological infrastructure but also encompasses complex issues such as technological sovereignty, the independence and resilience of network infrastructure, information security, the integration of corporate systems, and the efficiency of management.
The Vice-President of the ANAS highlighted that President Ilham Aliyev gives special attention to energy security issues. He noted that the operation of data centers, the development of AI systems, and the storage of large-scale data repositories are directly dependent on energy resources. According to the academician, the current efforts to establish data centers in space that utilize solar energy are driven precisely by this need. Since processing and storing large volumes of data requires high energy consumption, energy security is considered a fundamental condition for the sustainable development of AI.
Academician Rasim Alguliyev stated that the adoption of the “Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025–2028” has created entirely new realities in the country. He highlighted that this process is accompanied by significant challenges. According to the academician, one of the main priorities in this area is the development of human resources in the field of AI. He emphasized that, as AI is a rapidly evolving sector, the need for highly qualified specialists in this field will continue to grow in the future. “For this reason, it is essential to update school curricula to provide students with basic knowledge of artificial intelligence,” he said.
The Vice-President of the ANAS recalled the President’s stance on the extensive application of artificial intelligence in public administration, noting that in developed countries, AI agents are already used in the daily operations of state bodies. He emphasized that the focus on both artificial intelligence and energy security in the meetings held under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev highlights the strategic importance of these fields for the country. Azerbaijan’s macroeconomic and political stability is regarded as one of the key factors that make the country a favorable and reliable platform for the establishment of data centers.
“One of the main directions of digital architecture in our country is the formation of a unified data ecosystem across various sectors,” said Academician Rasim Alguliyev, emphasizing that the training of highly qualified personnel is a key requirement for the effective management of this data. He noted that data-driven software engineering is already emerging as a new scientific and practical field.
Academician Rasim Alguliyev emphasized the importance of thoroughly examining the issues arising from the unified action plan titled “Azerbaijan’s New Digital Architecture” by the institute’s staff, as well as holding scientific seminars and discussions. He noted that the essence of the ideas related to digital architecture must be clearly communicated to the public and that scientists should serve not only as researchers but also as active promoters and organizers of these processes.
The Director General of the institute also emphasized the importance of examining the issues arising from digital architecture at technological, humanitarian, political, cultural, and ideological levels through a comprehensive approach. According to the academician, the main priorities in this area include establishing a regulatory and legal framework for AI, adopting advanced international practices, implementing digitalization processes while preserving national and moral values, ensuring the principles of inclusivity, and addressing other related directions. He stressed that these measures serve to strengthen Azerbaijan’s cyber immunity in the virtual space.
At the conclusion of his speech, Academician Rasim Alguliyev called on scientists and specialists to actively participate in the process of building the digital architecture necessary to ensure the state’s cyber sovereignty, to conduct research in priority areas, and to contribute to the country’s digital development. On behalf of the staff of the Institute of Information Technology, he also expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for defining the strategic directions of digital development in the country and for implementing extensive institutional reforms in this field.
During the meeting, Doctor of Philosophy in Technology and Associate Professor Rashid Alekberov, Corresponding Member of ANAS Professor Masuma Mammadova, Corresponding Member of ANAS Ramiz Aliguliyev, Doctor of Sciences in Philology Hikmat Guliyev, Doctor of Philosophy in Technology and Associate Professor Farhad Yusifov, Doctor of Philosophy in Technology Babak Nabiyev, and doctoral student Araz Mustafa spoke, highlighting the importance of the unified action plan. They shared their views on the tasks and priorities ahead in this area. The scientists and specialists emphasized the need to support the establishment of the new digital architecture based on modern technological equipment and AI, to train highly qualified personnel, and to develop the data center ecosystem.

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