Development of small and medium-sized businesses in ICT field discussed

The 2nd meeting of the ICT Commission, which was established by the Azerbaijani National Confederation of Entrepreneurs, was held at High Tech Park under the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies.

The event was attended by the members of the ICT Commission – heads of the leading ICT companies of Azerbaijan, well-known representatives of the information society, representatives of the high-tech brain centers of the country and known IT businessmen.

Representatives of High Tech Park under the Ministry of Communications and High Technologies, State Fund for Development of Information Technologies, Data Processing Centre, Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO), Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and ADA University also took part in the meeting.

The event began with an opening speech delivered by Chairman of the Azerbaijani National Confederation of Entrepreneurs Ismayil Alakbarov. He said that Azerbaijan’s entrepreneurs support the large-scale reforms that are being carried out in the country under the leadership of the President Ilham Aliyev. Ismayil Alakbarov stressed the importance of further development of the country according to the new economic model based on knowledge and intelligence.

He informed the gathering about the strategy, working principal and activity directions of the ICT Commission. It was noted that the Commission plays the role of a leading platform for uniting business circles operating in the ICT and communications fields in Azerbaijan.

The participants of the meeting exchanged their views on the prospects for development of high technologies, innovations and startups in the country.

The meeting stressed the importance of creation of a public-private partnership for facilitating the development of information and communication technologies, promoting entrepreneurship and improving the business environment in the republic.

The participants of the meeting also exchanged their views on the development of Azerbaijan’s ICT Industry Strategic Development Plan, creation of an export-oriented national association that will unite the ICT business circles of Azerbaijan, promotion of the export of ICT solutions and products to foreign markets, the current status of e-commerce and legislation, and intellectual property issues.

The meeting made a decision to prepare concrete proposals for improving the business environment in the ICT field, promoting the export of the national technological innovations, software and system integration solutions to foreign markets, developing small and medium-sized businesses and giving impetus to the startup movement and to present these proposals to the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.