Azerbaijan: Building a Thriving Tech Hub
IDDA's Igor Ovcharenko on Transforming Azerbaijan's Digital Landscape
The information and communication technology sector in Azerbaijan is expanding rapidly, with IT service income growing by 18% annually. A key priority for the government is laying the groundwork for a thriving tech ecosystem, highlighted by the launch of the MyGov portal, offering over 450 e-services to enhance government-citizen interaction.
See Also: The power of Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Despite Azerbaijan's stable economic and political environment, tech entrepreneurship remains a growing field. The country's Innovation and Digital Development Agency, IDDA, is identifying key sectors in which the country can excel, drawing parallels to how Estonia has become a leader in digital governance and Israel in cybersecurity, said Igor Ovcharenko, chief innovation officer at IDDA.
"Our primary objective is to transition Azerbaijan's economy from its traditional reliance on fossil fuels to a more diversified model that emphasizes value-added IT exports and products," he said. "We are focused on developing a startup ecosystem and building the digital infrastructure necessary to facilitate seamless interactions between government entities, citizens and businesses."
In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Ovcharenko also discussed:
- How IDDA is fostering Azerbaijan's startup ecosystem;
- The agency's strategic vision for integrating emerging technologies such as 5G and AI in its digital ecosystem;
- Azerbaijan's positioning as a competitive player on the global tech stage.
Ovcharenko has more than 11 years of experience in building startup ecosystems in emerging markets. At IDDA, he has been instrumental in shaping the future of Azerbaijan's tech industry.
