the World Economic Forum (WEF) are collaborating on the development
of a Digital Transformation Roadmap for 650 Azerbaijani companies
by 2030, said Executive Director at the Center for the Fourth
Industrial Revolution Azerbaijan Fariz Jafarov, Trend reports.
“The World Economic Forum has 21 Fourth Industrial Revolution
centers around the world. Azerbaijan is leading one of them. The
Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, under the Ministry of Economy, is a public legal entity
established in 2021 by a decree from President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev. The center’s main activities include cooperation with the
WEF, bringing global expertise to Azerbaijan, digitalizing
industries, implementing the ‘Industry 4.0′ concept, developing new
technologies, and promoting the digital economy in Azerbaijan,” he
told reporters on the sidelines of the WEF in Davos.
According to Jafarov, the center is cooperating with the World
Economic Forum in several areas.
“Traditionally, the World Economic Forum publishes a series of
reports ahead of the Davos Forum. One of them is the Fourth
Industrial Revolution Centers’ Impact Report, where they shared
success stories in more than four different areas related to
Azerbaijan. One of them highlights a strategy developed for the
digital economy, the creation of technological centers under this
strategy, and the digital transformation of more than 650
companies, including efforts to enhance people’s knowledge and
skills in the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
In particular, our cooperation with Coursera was noted. As you
know, last year, 10,000 Azerbaijani citizens were given free access
to the Coursera online educational platform to acquire knowledge
and skills in Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. This year,
the program will expand to cover 200,000 people. The report also
includes the results of a survey conducted by the World Economic
Forum in Azerbaijan on attracting foreign investments to the
country’s digital economy.
Based on the survey, a recommendation document was prepared in
13 areas, with interviews conducted with over 100 companies in
Azerbaijan, including face-to-face interviews with 15 companies.
Issues related to the development of startups, ecosystems, and
innovations were discussed, and recommendations were made on the
steps needed to attract foreign investors to Azerbaijan. We have
already shared this document with various stakeholders in our
country,” he explained.
Jafarov pointed out that in connection with the COP29 event held
in Azerbaijan last year, the WEF selected the Center for the Fourth
Industrial Revolution in Azerbaijan as a partner and prepared a
report on artificial intelligence in energy.
“In this report, we presented 40 successful advanced
applications of artificial intelligence developed by our Center.
The contribution of Azerbaijan was also reflected in this document.
Our center is also a member of the WEF’s Global Alliance on
Artificial Intelligence Governance, and our experts participate in
this initiative.
Meanwhile, the center is part of the working group on government
technologies, known as ‘GovTech’.
Recently, another report from the World Economic Forum on
government technologies was published. Seven countries were
highlighted as examples, and it was noted that, thanks to
public-private partnerships, Azerbaijan has implemented more than
10 government projects in various areas. These include the
electronic tendering platform, ASAN Visa, and several other
achievements. Additionally, ASAN Xidmət is also cited as a
successful model for public services,” he said.
Jafarov added that this report presented seven countries,
including Azerbaijan, as examples with the best practices.
“Moreover, we are conducting research with the World Economic
Forum on the application of smart technologies in industry and
diagnosing companies in the industrial sector in Azerbaijan to
identify gaps. We are also exploring international technologies
that could be applied to address these gaps.
Several companies in Azerbaijan have already undergone this
assessment. This methodology was brought to Azerbaijan by us. We
are cooperating on the process of 650 Azerbaijani companies,
including small and medium-sized businesses, undergoing this
assessment by 2030, developing a Digital Transformation Roadmap for
them, and implementing technologies.
Several networks of the World Economic Forum include
international organizations, such as Apple, Google, TikTok,
Binance, and others. Our center is helping to ensure the presence
of these companies in Azerbaijan, establishing connections with new
partners, and organizing collaborations with universities and other
research centers,” he concluded.