Project “Subregional Innovation Policy Outlook” launched jointly with UNECE
In recent years, special attention has been paid to the formation of an innovation economy in Azerbaijan. Technological parks are created in the country at the initiative of the head of state, and discounts are provided to residents of these parks. Funds are operating to provide financial resources for innovation entities, grants and preferential loans are extended for innovative projects through these funds.
Relevant decrees and orders have been signed to improve the innovation activities and implement institutional reforms. To boost these processes, the Innovation Agency has been established under the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies. One of the main goals is to build and manage a dynamic innovation system, which will turn ideas into product and put them on the market.
In order to identify weak and strong sides in the innovation area, innovation policy, activity of innovation infrastructure entities, to improve innovation processes and increasing competitiveness, the launch of the project “Subregional Innovation Policy Outlook” was announced as part of “Made in Azerbaijan: Innovations and Technologies” (MAINTECH-2019) Forum held in Baku on June 3, 2019 by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
The project “Subregional Innovation Policy Outlook” will be held in six Eastern European and Caucasian countries and the development of innovation in these countries will be evaluated on some 50 indicators in the areas of “Innovative Governance”, “Innovation Policy Instruments” and “Innovation Policy Process”.
The project will be implemented in four stages and the results of the project will be published by UNECE in the summer of 2020.
While on visit to our country, UNECE delegation – project manager Jakob Fexer and political scientist Dmitri Plekhanov visited the Department of Innovative Development and E-Government Issues of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Copyright Agency, Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Innovation Agency, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and held a number of meetings.
