Within the partnership between the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IRIA) and the Azerbaijan State Agricultural University (ADAU), the Azerbaijan Innovation Center has started operating under ADAU. The main goal of the Center is to bring together innovators from Ganja and surrounding regions, contributing to startup development, improving access to markets and financing mechanisms, providing mentorship in the field of innovation, and supporting human capital development.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, IRIA’s Deputy Chairman Rəşad Xalıqov emphasized the importance of establishing such centers within university environments.
“As IRIA, supporting the development of innovative entrepreneurial thinking in universities is among our priorities. Innovation centers created for this purpose strengthen the state-university-business cooperation model and play a crucial role in building a competitive economy,” he noted.
The Azerbaijan Innovation Center at ADAU is equipped with technical hardware for prototyping, hardware design, and research. The Center also includes a computer laboratory for university students, program participants, and other users. In addition, coworking, meeting, presentation, learning, and training spaces have been provided.
It was also highlighted during the speeches that scientific projects with other universities, technology transfer with companies, incubation and acceleration programs for startups, STEM initiatives with government institutions, and access to international grant programs will form part of the Center’s activities.
It should be noted that with IRIA’s partnership, the Azerbaijan Innovation Center in Baku and the Sumgait Innovation Hub in Sumqayit were launched last year, and in 2025, the “Andersen Lab”, as well as innovation centers at Nakhchivan State University and the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University, were established.
