BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Uzbekistan and the
U.S.-based Alliance for Commercialization and Innovation Research
(ACIR) discussed expanding cooperation to promote agricultural
innovation, commercialize scientific research and attract
international investment into the country's agribusiness
sector.
This was reflected in the statement by the Ministry of
Agriculture of Uzbekistan following a meeting between Agriculture
Minister Ibrohim Abdurahmonov and Eric Azulay, founder of ACIR and
a member of Uzbekistan's International Expert Council.
The talks focused on strengthening innovation in agriculture by
supporting the commercialization of research, expanding access to
international grant programs and developing mechanisms to bring
scientific discoveries to market.
"The parties discussed supporting agricultural innovation,
commercializing scientific developments and attracting investment
to the sector through international grant programs," the ministry
said in a statement.
A key topic of the meeting was increasing the Ministry of
Agriculture's participation in projects implemented under the MUNIS
2 program, which is financed by the World Bank.
The two sides also explored opportunities to organize training
programs for scientists, researchers and agribusiness
representatives on preparing grant applications, developing
commercialization strategies, conducting market analysis and
protecting intellectual property rights.
In addition, the discussions covered the ministry's priorities
for developing an innovation ecosystem in agriculture, including
incubating agri-tech startups, expanding grant opportunities,
bringing promising technologies to market and adapting
international best practices to Uzbekistan's agricultural
sector.
The participants also reviewed prospects for launching joint
educational, consulting and innovation initiatives with ACIR in the
near future to strengthen research commercialization and technology
transfer.
According to the ministry, the meeting concluded with an
agreement to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation aimed at
accelerating the practical application of scientific research,
promoting innovative ideas and expanding international partnerships
to support the modernization and competitiveness of Uzbekistan's
agricultural sector.
