Azerbaijan expanding AI use in research and workforce training, deputy minister says
Deputy Minister of Economy Azer Bayramov said Azerbaijan is expanding free AI, programming and data-analysis courses for citizens and building AI research capacity, at a startup Demo Day in Baku on 31 October 2026, according to Report.az.
Azerbaijan is "consistently taking measures to expand the application of artificial intelligence to develop scientific research and strengthen the capacity of qualified personnel," Deputy Minister of Economy (İqtisadiyyat Nazirliyi) Azer Bayramov said on 31 October 2026, according to Report.az. Bayramov spoke at Demo Day, the closing event of the global innovation programme "Startup School 4: Five Continents – 500 Startups," organised in Baku by the Enterprise Azerbaijan portal of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (İqtisadi Reformaların Təhlili və Kommunikasiya Mərkəzi).
What the deputy minister said
- As part of a national continuous-learning programme, citizens are offered free courses in programming, artificial intelligence, data analysis and entrepreneurship, Bayramov said.
- The Azerbaijan Skills Accelerator, run jointly with the World Economic Forum, brings together the state, business and educational institutions to build skills matching future labour-market needs, according to Bayramov.
- The Center for Leadership and Innovation (Liderlik və İnnovasiya Mərkəzi), which recently opened in Baku in cooperation with Spain's IE University, will support "the training of future leaders and specialists with innovative thinking," Bayramov said.
Why it matters
The remarks carry no new budget or enrolment figures, but they confirm free AI and data-analysis training now sits inside a continuous-learning programme alongside a World Economic Forum skills partnership and a new leadership academy with a foreign university — a sign Azerbaijan is building the human-capital side of its AI push, not only signing infrastructure and cloud deals. For a South Caucasus state competing with Georgia and Central Asian neighbours for the same startups, workforce training is an AI-policy lever that does not depend on hyperscaler negotiations.
What it means for Azerbaijani institutions
Human capital is a stated pillar of Azerbaijan's Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2025–2028: "a pivotal aspect of Azerbaijan's strategy is the focus on building a skilled workforce capable of supporting the AI industry," including "specialised training programs for state officials and key personnel within the private sector," according to an azernews.az analysis of the strategy. Bayramov's remarks describe one piece already running. Report.az gave no detail on course capacity or curriculum, so employers and training providers should treat this as a confirmed policy direction, not a programme with published enrolment terms.
