Activity Plan for the ITU Regional Acceleration Centre in Azerbaijan Discussed

An online meeting was held with the participation of experts from the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as well as key stakeholders within the innovation ecosystem, to discuss the future activities of the ITU Regional Acceleration Centre. During the meeting, feedback from ecosystem stakeholders was collected, and extensive discussions were held on the Centre’s objectives, mission, governance model, and functional areas.

Accordingly, the key priorities of the ITU Regional Acceleration Centre have been defined as strengthening the potential for innovative entrepreneurship through collaboration among startups, business entities, government institutions, and educational establishments, as well as promoting knowledge and experience sharing within the ecosystem and fostering international networking.

The establishment of the ITU Regional Acceleration Centre in Azerbaijan as the first of its kind in the CIS region is of particular significance. The Centre in Baku will strengthen cooperation among the innovation ecosystems of the South Caucasus and Central Asia and accelerate the integration of startups, SMEs, large enterprises, government institutions, universities, researchers, investors, and NGOs into regional innovation projects. In addition, it will promote market and financial accessibility, infrastructure development, and human capital enhancement within the innovation ecosystem.

It should be noted that the ITU Regional Acceleration Centre was established in 2025 within the framework of strategic cooperation between the Innovation and Digital Development Agency, operating under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, and the ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies.