ITU Regional Acceleration Center Commences Operations in Azerbaijan
The new Regional Acceleration Center of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has been established within the framework of strategic cooperation between the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA) under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies.
The opening ceremony of the Center was attended by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, and ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau Director Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, as well as representatives from numerous local and international public and private organizations.
The ITU Acceleration Center, the first of its kind in the CIS region, has been established to bring together startups, businesses, government institutions, and educational organizations with the aim of enhancing innovative entrepreneurial potential, fostering collaboration across the ecosystem, and supporting the acceleration of digital transformation at the regional level.
The ITU Acceleration Center is part of a network of 17 innovation hubs aimed at developing new, more sustainable, and future-oriented approaches to navigate the rapidly changing digital world safely and securely.
The initiative was launched as part of ITU’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development. The Alliance promotes economic inclusivity and sustainable development through the implementation of technological projects.ITU Acceleration Centers serve as a key platform for strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors and for transforming innovative potential into tangible opportunities.
The Center’s activities will strengthen Azerbaijan’s growing position as a regional innovation leader by aligning the country’s national priorities with the ITU’s global mission. This strategic partnership will give a strong impetus to the development of the innovation ecosystem at the regional level.
Speaking at the opening event, Farid Osmanov, Chairman of IDDA, stated that the Center will serve as a hub for startups and innovative projects from Azerbaijan and other countries in the region:
“Startups at the Center will have the opportunity to participate in acceleration programs developed in accordance with the methodologies and standards of the International Telecommunication Union. This will accelerate their access to global markets while also fostering a culture of innovation in our country by leveraging advanced international practices.”
It should be noted that the ITU Regional Acceleration Center will operate within the administrative building of the Azerbaijan Innovation Center. The facility includes event halls, rooms for meetings and presentations, as well as training and co-working spaces.
