BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 20. Over the past four
years, the number of households in Azerbaijan with access to
high-speed fixed broadband internet has grown 13-fold, reaching
around 3 million and achieving full nationwide coverage, said
Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Samir
Mammadov, Trend
reports.

He made the remark during the final day of the presentation of
an innovation program implemented across Azerbaijan’s regions.

Mammadov noted that the project, in addition to improving
internet infrastructure, represents a strategic step toward shaping
the country’s digital future.

“The expansion of high-speed internet has significantly enhanced
the operational capabilities of Azerbaijan’s technoparks. From
January to August 2025, 26 legal entities, including two foreign
companies, received technopark resident status. Following
amendments to the ‘Model Regulation on Technoparks’ in 2023, 144
legal entities, including eight foreign companies, were granted
resident status to operate outside the technoparks,” he said.

To support the growth of companies operating outside
technoparks, relevant statistical data was collected, forming the
basis for the next stages of the support mechanism. “This project
will implement initiatives aimed at fostering the growth of these
companies and increasing their export potential,” he added.

The deputy minister also highlighted the progress made in
Azerbaijan’s innovation ecosystem in recent years. “With the
support of IRIA, a variety of incubation and acceleration programs,
hackathons, and ideathons have been organized over the past three
years. More than 600 startups received support, with over 275
advancing their ideas to the stage of a minimally viable product.
Regions, universities, and local and international partners
actively participated in this process. As a result, startups have
expanded into sectors such as e-commerce, healthcare technologies,
edtech and agritech, fintech, clean technologies, the Internet of
Things, big data, and the gaming industry.

At the same time, venture mechanisms in Azerbaijan have entered
a new phase. Over the past few years, various domestic funds have
raised more than $15 million in capital, of which over $2.2 million
has already been invested in startups operating in the region.”