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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Microsoft to open multiregional hub in Kazakhstan
According to the Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry Ministry of Kazakhstan, Microsoft will establish a multiregional hub in Kazakhstan. It will cover Central Asian countries as well as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Mongolia, and Pakistan.
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Steering Committee formed to increase Pakistan's digital exports
The government of Pakistan aims to create a favourable investment climate for local and foreign investors to help fill the gaps that exist in digital infrastructure and connectivity, with a report from the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry suggesting that digitisation has the potential to add $60 billion to the economy by 2030.
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Azerbaijan's Ministry of Labour working on digitalization of labor relations
Azerbaijan's Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population is digitizing the sphere of labor relations to ensure transparency, according to Minister Sahil Babayev, who added that reforms have covered over 40% of the country's population.
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Georgia implements Maritime Single Window system to become more competitive as a logistics hub
Georgia's Economy Minister, Levan Davitashvili, has stated that implementing the Maritime Single Window (MSW) system for digital information exchange between ports and ships would make Georgia an even more attractive logistics hub. The Digital Ports I programme will simplify and fully digitize port procedures for vessels and enhance port management.
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Opportunities and Upcoming Events
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CAREC Innovation Decoded - PRC Episode
The program is designed to provide a platform for the startup ecosystem in the CAREC region to tackle challenges through sharing information, resources, and networks. The first webinar “Investment and incubation: from academia to industry” will be held on May 10, 2023.
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Profit Industry and Energy Day
Conference for leaders in the field of information technology will take place on May 19 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event will discuss how to optimize costs and develop an enterprise using new technologies.
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2nd EU-Central Asia Economic Forum on Green and Digital Transition
The 2nd EU-Central Asia Economic Forum is scheduled to take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 18-19 May 2023. The Forum aims to promote sustainable growth and connectivity in Central Asia through discussions on key priority areas including green and digital transition, better business environment, trade, and connectivity.
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Startup Ecosystem Initiatives
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CAREC University Startup Generator 2023 Award Ceremony
On April 26, the CAREC Secretariat announced the winners of the CAREC University Startup Generator 2023 initiative, which had 168 teams from 10 countries participating. The first prize was awarded to the "NIP" team for their idea to improve public transportation via smart buses, followed by the "GSL" team in second place for their AI Office Butler, and the "Goddard-Discovery" team in third place for their AI-powered research assistance.
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CIN members’ workshop on fundraising and Singapore startup ecosystem
The CAREC Innovation Network (CIN) hosted a workshop on April 18th to provide guidance to startups on raising funds and expanding internationally, with a focus on the Singapore startup ecosystem. The event featured Mustafa Rasheed, an angel investor and startup expert, who shared tips and tricks on connecting with investors and raising funds.
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CIN members’ workshop on challenges of a startup ecosystem
The CAREC Innovation Network (CIN) hosted its fourth workshop on April 27th with Eli David, CEO of Startup Blink, discussing the challenges of developing a startup ecosystem, including culture, legislative and policy, infrastructure, and effective promotion. CIN aims to promote growth within the CAREC startup ecosystem through collaboration.
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China's Digital Economy Becomes Major Growth Engine for Country's Modernization
China's digital economy reached 50.2 trillion yuan ($7.25 trillion) in 2022, accounting for 41.5% of GDP, and is seen as a major growth engine for the country marching towards modernization, according to a report on digital China development. The two-day Digital China Summit held in Fuzhou focuses on showcasing the latest achievements of the Digital China initiative, including digital infrastructure, the digital economy, and digital society.
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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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