Dear friends & partners,
We are delighted to bring you the latest news on startup ecosystems in the CAREC region. Our newsletter highlights various developments in the areas of startups, ICT, and digital transformation.
We would be happy to report on your organization’s work, so feel free to share your story or article with us. This newsletter is distributed to various stakeholders in the CAREC region. For more updates join our telegram channel: https://t.me/CAREC_digital
Regards,
Team CAREC
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Digitalization Policy and Initiatives
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Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan progress on Trans-Caspian fiber optic project
Azerbaijan's Azertelecom and Kazakhstan's Kazakhtelecom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Trans-Caspian fiber optic data transmission network. This project aims to provide faster and more reliable internet connectivity between Europe and Asia, which would also boost economic development and diversification in the Caspian region.
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Georgia’s Economy Ministry concludes National Innovation Ecosystem Project
The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia has completed the National Innovation Ecosystem project aimed at promoting innovation in the country. The project included the creation of a database of innovative companies, the establishment of innovation centers in universities, and the development of a legal framework for innovation.
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Opportunities and Upcoming Events
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Beetech conf 2023 in Almaty, Kazakhstan
Beetech conf is an annual IT conference for engineers, developers, product managers, QA specialists, scrum masters and other dev specialists that will take place on April 22, Almaty. This year the program is built around a discussion of the pressing pains of Kazakhstani IT and local market features.
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BIT-2023 international forum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
BIT-2023 is an international forum for the regional IT community that will be held on April 5, Bishkek. This year the program will be dedicated to cloud technologies, data centers and information security.
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Startup Ecosystem Initiatives
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CAREC University Startup Generator 2023 workshop: Nailing the customer value proposition
The CAREC Secretariat hosted a workshop titled “Nailing the Customer Value Proposition” on March 17 as part of the CAREC University Startup Generator 2023. The workshop was led by trainers from Silicon Valley, Jeff Wallace and Kal Deutsch, and aimed to help students gain a better understanding of their customers’ needs and prioritize them effectively.
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CAREC University Startup Generator 2023 workshop: Disruptive Innovation and Investor Expectations
On March 7, CAREC Secretariat held an online workshop for CAREC University Startup Generator 2023 participants focusing on Disruptive Innovation and Investor Expectations.The session aimed to help students reflect on their brainstorming and idea validating process, and discuss what disruption means, its value, and how it can be brought to a particular market.
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CAREC University Startup Generator 2023: Pitching Day
On March 29, the CAREC University Startup challenge program 2023 concluded its Pitching Day event, with 10 teams competing for the top 3 prizes. The program attracted 168 teams representing 580 students from 10 CAREC countries, with finalists hailing from various universities across the region.
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Pakistan’s startup funding recovers in first quarter of 2023
Pakistan’s startup funding increased 55% to $23.1 million in the first quarter of calendar year 2023 compared to the previous three-month period (October-December 2022).
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Mongol ID launches SoftPOS with Mining Ministry’s support
Mongol ID, Mongolia's leading fintech, has launched a softPOS solution with the support of the country's Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry. The new solution will enable merchants to accept card payments using only a mobile device, without the need for any additional hardware.
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China Works to Build Elderly-Friendly Digital Society to Bridge
China is working to build an elderly-friendly digital society to help seniors cross the digital divide. Since 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has been working to improve digital literacy among seniors, encouraging tech companies to launch easy-to-use interfaces and recruiting volunteers to provide training on the use of intelligent equipment.
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About CAREC Program
The CAREC 2030 Strategy emphasizes the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) across the CAREC Program’s spectrum of operations. As part of its CAREC Digital Strategy 2030 implementation and upcoming initiatives, efforts are being made to accelerate digital adoption in the Program’s five operational clusters.
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