A delegation led by Ahmet Aydın, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Turkey, got acquainted with the activities of “ASAN Service.”

Welcoming the guests, Ceyhun Salmanov, Deputy Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, provided information about the “ASAN Service” centers established on the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev and the innovative solutions applied in public services. He also noted that Azerbaijan’s intellectual brand is currently exported to more than 30 countries.

The guests also visited the “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center, Mobile ASAN Service, ABAD, and “Bilim Bakı” centers.

The semifinal stage of the “Digital Startup Awards” competition has been held in Azerbaijan

In partnership with “INNOLAND” Incubation and Acceleration Center and “Sabah Hub,” the Azerbaijani semifinal of the international “Digital Startup Awards” competition in the “Best Startup Project” category was successfully held.

Twenty innovative startup projects representing Azerbaijan took part in the semifinal. The startup teams presented their projects to the jury, where they were evaluated based on criteria such as business model, technological innovation, and market potential.

The “Digital Startup Awards” program is an international initiative that fosters a multi-level development mechanism within the region’s startup ecosystem and is distinguished by its stage-based selection process. In the “Best Startup Project” category—one of the three main stages of the program—two projects, “StarKidsStories” and “Tryverse,” were announced as winners.

“StarKidsStories” is an innovative startup that creates personalized children’s storybooks using artificial intelligence technologies. The project stands out for its scalable model and strong profit potential.

“Tryverse” is a platform that combines 3D and augmented reality (AR) technologies to enhance online sales of physical products.

These two startup projects have earned the opportunity to represent Azerbaijan in the international final to be held in Uzbekistan, where they will compete with the most promising startups from nine countries.

The startups selected for the semifinal stage were chosen from nearly 100 applications and evaluated by distinguished jury members and experts, including Dalerkhon Nodirov (Deputy Director of IT Park Ventures), Mubariz Shahbazli (Head of the UNEC Startup Incubator), and Masud Alisoy (Investment Specialist representing the Sabah Foundation). Mr. Elshad Mammadzada (Executive Director of Akademi Group), representing the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center, evaluated the EdTech startups as an expert judge in educational innovation.

Overall, more than 150 startups from Azerbaijan applied for the competition. The “Digital Startup Awards” program is organized by “StartupBase,” an innovation platform of IT Park Uzbekistan. The program aims to promote digital innovation, support the development of the startup ecosystem across Central Asia and the Caucasus, and create opportunities for young entrepreneurs to gain international recognition.

At the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University (ASPU), a series of educational sessions were organized by the "INNOLAND" Incubation and Acceleration Center in collaboration with the ADPU ENACTUS team to familiarize students with modern educational approaches and foster their innovative thinking.

During these sessions, renowned experts shared detailed insights on the application of new methods and tools in the teaching process, the role of project-based and game-based learning in education, as well as the prospects of using digital platforms.

On May 16, the session titled "Online Education Platform" featured an opening speech by Professor Asaf Zamanov, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation at ASPU. During the session, Könül Guliyeva, founder of the "Safavy" platform, delivered a presentation on the development dynamics and application opportunities of online education.

On May 19, the session "Future of Education: Transition to Project-Based Learning" was held, where Nariman Garayev, founder of the "Taskool" platform, discussed the essence and effectiveness of project-based education through practical examples. The session was opened by Shahin Mammadli, Head of the ADPU ENACTUS team, and the presentation part was conducted by Aytac Abbasova.

On May 20, the session titled "Ways of Using Interactive Games in Schools" was opened by the team’s coordinator Zenfira Seyidova. Aynur Huseynova, a teacher at the "Bilim Baku" center, shared practical recommendations on applying game methodologies in teaching and increasing student motivation.

The sessions attracted great interest from students, and all three events were held in an interactive format with discussions and Q&A sessions.