OSCE Baku Office holds workshop on business incubators and industrial parks

BAKU, 22 April 2003 - The OSCE has organized the first national workshop on business incubators and industrial parks in Azerbaijan, which will be held on 23 and 24 April in Baku.

The concept of business incubators comprises a wide range of institutions to foster the creation and development of small and medium-sized enterprises in regions where this has not happened spontaneously. The primary goal of a business incubator is to facilitate economic development by improving the entrepreneurial base.

First-hand knowledge of creating and operating business incubators is very limited in Azerbaijan. The workshop, which will be organized by the OSCE Office in Baku, the Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), aims at providing the country's business and government representatives with best practices and knowledge of successful business incubators. Topics include operational and management tactics, government relations, incubator incentives and services, and specialized legislation.

"We warmly welcome the willingness of the Azerbaijani Government to tackle this subject", said Ambassador Peter Burkhard, Head of the OSCE Office in Baku. He also declared the readiness of his office to promote the implementation of the recommendations and concrete plans adopted at the workshop.

The event will offer an open forum for the participants to exchange experiences and knowledge, and to discuss the positive role of business incubators and industrial parks in emerging economies. Examples and experiences will be drawn from Central Europe, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

"The most frequent outcome of these incubation programmes is the creation of jobs, which helps to enhance a community's entrepreneurial climate", Ambassador Burkhard added. "This again gives an incentive for businesses to remain in this community, for building or accelerating growth in a local industry, and diversifying local economies. Such a result would be very much in line with the goals of the Government's National Poverty Reduction Strategy for 2002 to 2005, as well as with the priorities of the OSCE Office regarding regional security issues."

Participants at the workshop will include representatives from several national institutions, including the Council of Ministers, government ministries, the State Customs Committee, the National Bank, Parliament, the Business Development Alliance and several small business interest groups, as well as international experts.