Uzbekistan at INMerge Innovation Summit
Executive Director of IT Park Uzbekistan Abdulakhad Kuchkarov participated in the INMerge Innovation Summit, which took place from in Baku.
The INMerge Innovation Summit is an international event organized by PASHA Holding that fosters the development of the innovation ecosystem by bringing together startups and investors. The summit serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas and expertise, creating unique opportunities for collaboration and networking.
Abdulakhad Kuchkarov, Executive Director of IT Park Uzbekistan, participated in the panel session titled “Innovating the Ecosystem for Growth”, along with Renat Bekturov, CEO of Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), Sengmeng Ku, Head of LearnAI at AI Singapore, and Miladi Stumbu, Regional Director for CEMA at Microsoft. During his remarks, Kuchkarov discussed the role of technological alliances, industrial partnerships, and regulatory initiatives as pivotal drivers of a robust innovation ecosystem. He also emphasized that collaboration between Central Asian countries plays a crucial role in fostering innovation — for example, as part of the Central Asian Innovation Hubs initiative, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan presented startups under a single brand for the first time at the INMerge Innovation Summit. It is worth noting that one of the region’s key advantages is its young workforce, and the creation of educational and entrepreneurial infrastructure to support their growth and new projects remains a top priority.
The summit also included a meeting in which Abdulakhad Kuchkarov alongside Samir Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Inara Valieva, Chairperson of IDDA, Yevgeniya Bikmurzina, Head of Innovation at IDDA, and Agahuseyn Ahmadov, Head of Investment and Ecosystem Support at IDDA engaged in a productive discussion on opportunities to exchange experience and strengthen cooperation. Participants shared best practices in areas such as IT talent development, outsourcing, the growth of startup ecosystems, and attracting venture capital investments, leading to the identification of new approaches and ideas for future development. Special attention was given to regional cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, with both parties discussing prospective joint projects aimed at enhancing economic and social ties. To further elaborate the proposals, a working group was established to further develop concrete steps for implementing these initiatives.
Additionally, a roundtable discussion was held during the INMerge Innovation Summit, bringing together venture capital firms, TEVCA (Turkic & Eurasian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association), as well as key players from the Caucasus and Central Asia. The significance of regional cooperation in the development of venture capital and the support of innovation in the region was emphasized, along with the creation of a Regional Fund of Funds initiative. Participants reviewed the fund’s structure, objectives, and key steps to advance this initiative.
Further discussions took place with representatives of the AL-FARABI Innovation Hub, focusing on the involvement of Uzbek startups in Saudi Arabian accelerator programs. The negotiations explored potential cooperation and investment opportunities to support Uzbek startups and entrepreneurs, with the goal of fostering conditions for their growth and expansion into international markets.
Moreover, meetings took place with representatives from Doğuş Teknoloji, R.I.S.K., Bakinity Company, and Times Consulting, where opportunities for cooperation in the IT outsourcing sector were discussed. As a result of these discussions, Azerbaijani companies R.I.S.K., Bakinity Company, and Times Consulting expressed their interest in considering Uzbekistan as a location for establishing outsourcing offices, while Doğuş Teknoloji conveyed its intent to seek partners for outsourcing orders within the region.
For Uzbekistan, participation in such international summits presents significant opportunities. The startups showcased at the summit have the potential to attract the attention of global investors and experts, contributing to the growth of local tech companies and strengthening the Uzbekistan’s innovation landscape. In the long term, this will enable Uzbekistan to enhance its position in the global digital economy, attracting international technological alliances, and developing a sustainable innovation ecosystem.