The official opening ceremony of the international acceleration program “Green and Digital Silk Road” was held within the framework of the “Startup School 3” project, implemented through the joint initiative of the “Enterprise Azerbaijan” portal, operated by the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), and the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Nevada, USA.

The event was opened by the Executive Director of CAERC, Professor Vusal Gasimli. In his speech, he emphasized the role of the “Startup School” projects in the development of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, noting the significance of the program in creating an innovative cooperation platform among regional countries in previous phases. Professor Gasimli stated that the project makes an important contribution to enhancing the knowledge and skills of startups, integrating them into the innovation ecosystem, and expanding their access to global markets.

The Chairman of the Board of the Innovation and Digital Development Agency, Farid Osmanov, and the Director of the State Agency on Renewable Energy Sources, Cavid Abdullayev, also addressed the event. They underlined the importance of such international initiatives in the field of innovation and stressed the necessity of strengthening cooperation between state institutions and startups.

The Head of the “Enterprise Azerbaijan” portal, Isa Gasimov, delivered a detailed presentation about the “Startup School 3” project. He pointed out that the high level of international interest and broad partnership opportunities in this phase are indicators of the successful development of Azerbaijan’s innovation ecosystem.

The partners of the “Startup School 3” project — CEO of the venture fund “Caucasus Ventures,” Mammad Karim, and Director of “Baku Holiday Travel” company, Ramil Rzayev — also spoke at the event. They expressed their satisfaction with the collaboration opportunities within the project and emphasized that such joint initiatives will yield more successful results for the ecosystem. They noted that the acceleration program, along with making a significant contribution to the overall development of the ecosystem, also supports the growth of partner organizations and fosters favorable collaborations among ecosystem players.

It should be noted that within the framework of the “Startup School 3” project, the “Green and Digital Silk Road” international acceleration program received a total of 148 applications from Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, and South Korea. Out of these, 126 projects successfully passed the initial selection stage and gained the right to participate in the training sessions of the acceleration program.

The training and mentorship services will be conducted in August, September, and October by international-level experts. In the final stage of the program — the Demoday event — selected startups will present their projects before a jury composed of representatives from international venture funds.

The “Enterprise Azerbaijan” portal is collaborating with 39 organizations from 10 countries — 21 local and 18 foreign — in the implementation of the acceleration program. Five venture funds from the USA, Türkiye, Pakistan, Malta, and Azerbaijan have also joined the program as partners.

The “Startup School 3” project serves as an important platform for supporting innovative ideas, promoting a sustainable and digital entrepreneurship environment, and building regional and international networks.