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.
