The “Demo Day” event of the IV “TUSI” incubation program, implemented by the “Innovation Center” of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, within the framework of the “Skills for the Future” project, has been held.

The objective is to strengthen human capital in the field of innovation and promote innovative activities in education. At the same time, creating conditions for the development of students’ innovative ideas and directing them toward invention and startup activities are among the key priorities.

The event was attended by Ulvi Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency; Firudin Gurbanov, Deputy Minister of Science and Education; Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency; Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, Vice President for Communications and External Affairs for the Caspian Region at bp; as well as rectors of higher education institutions in the country.

Within the framework of the event, a Memorandum of Understanding on “Cooperation in the Formation and Development of an Innovation Environment in Universities” was signed between the State Agency and newly joined institutions — Azerbaijan Medical University, Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, and the Academy of the State Customs Committee.

Afterwards, the guests ознакомились with the projects of the startup teams.

During the event, speeches by officials were delivered, and a video highlighting the work carried out within the project was presented.

Sixteen 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 the opportunity to become residents of the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center. The first-place winner also earned the right to participate in the “Take Off Istanbul” startup summit.

Detailed information was provided about the upcoming V “TUSI” incubation program. Through intensive training covering 10 main topics and 34 sub-modules, the program offers participants extensive opportunities for building startups, systematically developing ideas, and integrating into the innovation ecosystem.

Since 2021, cooperation has been established with 15 higher education institutions within the framework of the project; more than 300 startup ideas have been submitted by over 3,000 students. With the support of more than 130 trained university mentors, 29 startup teams have been formed and have presented their projects at “Demo Day” events.

To date, four startups formed within the “Skills for the Future” project have attracted a total of 310,000 AZN in investment.

Networking meetings continue as part of Phase II of the NeecroLearn intensive training and game incubation program.

This time, the program participants met with Nikita Yudin, a representative of Xsolla, one of the world's leading companies in the gaming industry.

During the meeting, participants learned about Xsolla's operations, game project development, opportunities in the global gaming industry, and pathways to entering international markets. The event was held in an interactive discussion format, allowing participants to ask their questions directly to the company's representative.

At INNOLAND, we remain committed to supporting young talents in the gaming industry and helping them integrate into the international gaming ecosystem

Networking and experience-sharing sessions continue as part of the “NeecroLearn” Game Incubation Program.

As part of the program’s second stage, another networking and experience-sharing session was held with Javid Shukurli, a 3D Game Artist at “M3DS Academy” and “Vertpaint Studios”.

Speaking on the topic of “Building a Portfolio and Finding Jobs Abroad,” Javid Shukurli shared his experience with participants on creating a professional portfolio, the key aspects that attract employers’ attention, and career opportunities in the international game industry.