The IV “TUSI” Incubation Program Demo Day Has Been Held
The “Demo Day” event of the IV “TUSI” incubation program, implemented within the “Skills for the Future” project by the Innovation Center of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has been held.
According to Startup.az, the main goal of the initiative is to strengthen human capital in the field of innovation and promote innovative activities in education. At the same time, supporting the development of students’ innovative ideas and guiding them toward invention and startup activities are among the key priorities.
The event was attended by Ülvi Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency, Firudin Qurbanov, Deputy Minister of Science and Education, Orxan Məmmədov, Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency, and Bəxtiyar Aslanbəyli, BP’s Vice President for Communications and External Affairs in the Caspian region, along with rectors of higher education institutions.
Within the framework of the event, a Memorandum of Understanding on “Cooperation in the formation and development of innovation ecosystems in universities” was signed between the State Agency and newly joined institutions, including Azərbaycan Tibb Universiteti, Azərbaycan Dövlət Pedaqoji Universiteti, and the Academy of the State Customs Committee.
Participants were then introduced to the projects of startup teams. Speeches by officials were delivered, and a video showcasing the achievements of the project was presented.
A total of 16 startup teams that successfully completed the IV “TUSI” incubation program presented their projects. Based on the jury’s evaluation, the top three projects were granted residency at the “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center. The first-place winner also earned the opportunity to participate in the Take Off Istanbul startup summit.
During the event, detailed information was also provided about the upcoming V “TUSI” incubation program. The program will offer extensive opportunities for participants through intensive training covering 10 main topics and 34 sub-modules, focusing on startup creation, systematic development of ideas, and integration into the innovation ecosystem.
Since 2021, the project has established cooperation with 15 higher education institutions. More than 300 startup ideas have been submitted by over 3,000 students. With the support of more than 130 trained mentors at universities, 29 startup teams have been formed and have presented their projects at Demo Day events. Within the “Skills for the Future” project, four startups have attracted a total investment of 310,000 AZN to date.
