By Trend

Boosting of cooperation can create conditions for fundamental changes in Azerbaijan’s innovation sector, Nazrin Guluzade, director general and founder of FemTech Azerbaijan company, said in an interview to Trend.

According to Guluzade, all multinational companies, start-up centers, the private sector, government agencies, schools and universities should be involved in the process of applying foreign solutions and innovations.

"In business terms, we need to expand centers that would teach its basics. Most of our entrepreneurs work only on the basics of traditional business," she noted said.

The CEO also noted that it’s mostly men who work in the ICT sector in Azerbaijan, while the number of women in this area is very low.

“We still don’t see women in training for programming, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), or innovative entrepreneurship. We are working to eliminate this inequality and pay great attention to involving 12-16-aged girls in the study of new technologies,” she said. “For this, we are implementing Her Improvement program. Within its framework, 25 participants have already been selected who will develop their startup products.”

According to her, the implementation of such projects will strengthen international cooperation, expand the use of foreign experience, and also accelerate the development of the startup ecosystem in Azerbaijan.

Guluzade pointed out that the education sector in Azerbaijan has stepped forward 10 years, while university and school teachers saw that the old teaching methods no longer work. Moreover, Azerbaijan realizes the importance of innovation and the use of new technologies, the director general added.

"All educational materials were uploaded to online platforms, and the training system is built using new methods. In addition, we are working to familiarize educational institutions of Azerbaijan with the concept of innovations and startups," Guluzade noted.

She also said that many start-up contests, incubation and acceleration programs are being held in Azerbaijan.

“Azerbaijani youth has become more interested in this sphere. The ecosystem is growing, and government agencies are realizing the importance of innovation and the use of technologies, and gradually begin to apply them in certain areas,” added the CEO.