Azerbaijan has launched the Vistar Center of Excellence
The Vistar Center of Excellence has been established in Azerbaijan through a joint partnership between the Innovation and Digital Development Agency (IDDA), the Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The Center’s mission is to support innovation in Azerbaijan by promoting innovative education, startup development, innovative entrepreneurship, including in the space sector, as well as fostering international technological cooperation.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Azerbaijan, senior representatives of Israel Aerospace Industries, the Holon Institute of Technology, the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, and Azercosmos, a company within AZCON Holding.
Speaking at the official opening ceremony held on 16 December, the Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, emphasized the importance of international partnerships in fostering an innovation culture:
“We support expanding cooperation with leading global technology players, encouraging their engagement in Azerbaijan and the implementation of mutually beneficial projects. The newly established Center of Excellence will serve as a catalyst for the development of highly competitive startups and the overall innovation culture in Azerbaijan.”
The event also featured a keynote address by Boaz Levy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Israel Aerospace Industries, who noted that the new Center reflects the steadily strengthening relations between Azerbaijan and Israel:
“Our countries have long enjoyed relations built on mutual trust, and today we have taken an important step to further strengthen our technological cooperation. The Vistar Center of Excellence will create new opportunities for innovators, contributing to a more dynamic development of technological collaboration between Azerbaijan and Israel.”
It should be noted that the Vistar Center of Excellence operates under an education and acceleration model encompassing the fields of education, innovation, the space industry, and research. The Center plans to host programs involving international experts, focusing on idea validation, prototype development, and training aimed at enabling startups to access investment opportunities and global markets.
