An international conference called "Cross-Border Innovation: Strengthening Azerbaijan-Hungary Friendship" was held under the organization of the "Enterprise Azerbaijan" portal operated by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC).

Specialists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and startups participated in the event organized in cooperation with the "Mathias Corvinus Collegium" University of Hungary. Opening the conference held at the Small and Medium Business Development Agency, Hikmet Mammadov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the institution, praised the initiatives that meet modern challenges in the constantly updated innovation ecosystem.

Ramil Huseyn, the deputy executive director of CAERC, spoke about Azerbaijan-Hungary relations and expressed confidence that successful cooperation in the Organization of Turkic States, the "Green Energy" corridor, and other platforms will continue in the future.

Matanat Musayeva, the head of the "Enterprise Azerbaijan" portal, also spoke and said that "Startup School 2" was launched this year, as the successes achieved by the participants of the "Startup School 1" project, which had been held so far, caused a great response. In the project, both local and foreign startups conduct extensive research and study innovations in the ecosystem. Peter Balog, a student of "Mathias Corvinus Collegium" University, who had an internship at "Enterprise Azerbaijan" for 3 months within the framework of the scholarship program, shared with the conference participants what he learned about exchange programs and innovations.

After the opening speeches, the conference continued with three panels on the topics "Economic landscape: the role of innovation in development", "Fundamentals of the future: Education and innovation", "Innovation ecosystem: A key point of view". In the discussions, the state's innovation policy, venture capitals, ways of developing small and medium entrepreneurship were discussed, and the opinions of local and foreign experts were heard about the role of the startup ecosystem in economic development, and its impact on education, science, and agriculture.

During the question-and-answer sessions, Ramil Maharramov, World Bank's adviser on financial and private sector development, Jaba Moldiz, head of the School of International Relations of "Mathias Corvinus Collegium" University, Huseyn Mehdi, deputy director of the Agrarian Innovation Center of the Ministry of Agriculture, Araz Pashayev, chairman of the board of the Education Student Loan Fund, Latifa Nasibova, Deputy Director of the Azerbaijan-French University, Altay Ismayilov, Head of the Department of Business Management of the Baku Higher Oil School, Zaur Gardashov, Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBIA), Director of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IRIA) under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, Yevgeniya Bikmurzina, head of the innovation ecosystem department, and Orkhan Abbasov, a member of the management board of "SABAH.HUB", made speeches.

It should be noted that the "www.enterpriseazerbaijan.gov.az" portal operated by the CAERC was created according to the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev "On additional measures to support competitive domestic production in the non-oil sector". The goal is to improve the potential of attracting foreign direct investments to Azerbaijan, to implement projects open to alternative financing in the country, and to create new investment opportunities.