Azerbaijan’s innovative and technological potential can be assessed at upcoming Agro Tech competition

BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 10 By Sadraddin Aghjayev - Trend: Azerbaijan’s innovative and technological potential, as well as the transfer of foreign technologies to Azerbaijan, can be assessed thanks to the upcoming Agro Tech competition within the TEKNOFEST International Aviation, Space and Technology Festival, Director of the Agrarian Innovation Center under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Agriculture Akbar Abbasov said in an interview with Trend. Abbasov said that global climate change has a great impact on the agricultural sector, moreover, the demand for agricultural products is growing. “The number of sown areas in which it is possible to grow agricultural products is decreasing,” the director of the center added. “Therefore, the integration of innovations and technologies into agriculture is a priority issue today and the holding of such competitions and events is not accidental.” Abbasov said that people have been registered for the Agro Tech competition for several weeks and the registration has already been completed. “Students, schoolchildren, specialists in the agricultural sector, and the companies showed interest in this competition,” the director of the center added. “The registration process was divided into three categories, namely, A (pupils), B (students), C (specialists).” Abbasov said that however, only two categories were envisaged for participation in the Agro Tech competition, namely, B and C. “According to the latest data, 53 teams were registered in category B while 37 teams were registered in category C,” the director of the center said. “At least three and no more than six people can be in each team.” While speaking about the expectations of this competition, the director of the center said that this competition will help to assess the innovative and technological potential, as well as the transfer of foreign technologies to Azerbaijan. “Our center sees this competition as a platform for the creation and integration of technologies and innovations in agriculture,” Abbasov said. “Proceeding from the practice, the new tools were applied in scientific and research work, as well as in other structures of the Ministry of Agriculture thanks to the holding of such events and competitions.” The director of the center added that the contestants are greatly interested in implementing their ideas and seeking support and partners, as well as in further activity as a technology company or a start-up project. “Some 12,000 manat ($7,058) will be allocated to the winners of the competition for each category, namely for categories B and C while in total, 24,000 manat ($14,117) - for two categories for the further development of the projects,” Abbasov said. “Around 6,000 manat ($3,529) will be allocated for the first place, for each category, 4,000 manat ($2,352) for the second place while 2,000 manat ($1,176) for the third place.” The director of the center said that the projects created at the Agro Tech competition can be used in Turkey and in other foreign markets in the future. The upcoming TEKNOFEST International Aviation, Space and Technology Festival will be held in Azerbaijan on May 26-29, 2022. TEKNOFEST in Baku is held by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan. At the same time, the TEKNOFEST production office operates in Baku. The full staff of the office is comprised of Azerbaijani specialists. The event has been held annually since 2018, with the joint organization of the Turkish Technology Team Foundation, which is managed by the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology and the chief technology officer of Baykar Makina, in partnership with more than 60 Turkish government institutions, universities and private companies. The goal is to popularize such areas as aviation, space industry and digital economy, to encourage entrepreneurship in these areas, to identify the knowledge and skills of young engineers through competitions organized within the framework of the festival, as well as to present national technologies to the general public. Trend, Day.az, Milli.az, Azernews, Eastweststream, Today.az and Turkic.World are official media partners of TEKNOFEST. ------- Follow the author on Twitter: agdzhaev