On May 22, the “Smart City and Smart Village” Startup Festival dedicated to the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” was held under the joint organization of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and Nakhchivan State University. The festival brought together state institutions, technology companies, innovation ecosystem representatives and startups on one platform.

The main goal of the event is to promote smart city and smart village solutions, present innovative projects in the direction of digital transformation, and support the development of the technology ecosystem in the region.

Speaking at the official opening of the festival, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Acting Minister Azer Mammadrahimov said that the declaration of 2026 as the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture” by President Ilham Aliyev is an indicator of the special importance attached to the development of urban planning, architecture and modern technologies. The Deputy Minister noted that the “Smart City” and “Smart Village” projects, the application of artificial intelligence technologies and the expansion of digital services are among the main priorities of state policy. He also emphasized that the WUF13 — World Urban Forum held in Baku shows the growing international reputation of Azerbaijan in the field of sustainable urban planning and digital development.

It was noted that a total of 60 startup teams, 151 participants, 5 judges, 9 panelists and 26 mentors are participating in the festival. The presented projects demonstrate that young people are not only users of technology, but also a creative force shaping future solutions.

Then, at the festival, the rector of Nakhchivan State University Elbrus Isayev made a speech and said that in modern times, universities are not only educational institutions, but also important development centers where innovations and technologies are formed. He noted that special attention is paid to the development of the creative and innovative potential of students at the university and it is gratifying that students are represented at the festival with innovative and promising startup projects. The rector emphasized that the concepts of "smart city" and "smart village" are one of the main directions of sustainable development and improving the quality of life.

Speaking at the festival, the Minister of Education of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Elkhan Najafov, noted that in modern times, knowledge, technology and innovation have become the main factors determining the development of states. The Minister emphasized that the "smart city" and "smart village" approaches are no longer the future, but the reality of today, and the innovative ideas of young people will play an important role in the future development of the country. The Minister noted that important projects are being implemented in Nakhchivan towards the development of STEAM education, and students from 29 educational institutions are participating in the festival with innovative projects.

Speaking later, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic noted that the application of innovative technologies and digital solutions is of particular importance in modern urban planning policy. The concepts of "smart city" and smart village play an important role in shaping a sustainable urban environment, creating a safe and modern living infrastructure.

The speech emphasized that innovative initiatives and technology-based projects of young people contribute to the formation of the urban planning model of the future. It was also noted that the startup projects presented at the festival create new opportunities in the fields of urban planning, environmental sustainability and digital management.

Within the framework of the festival, an innovation exhibition was held, where startup projects, artificial intelligence solutions, green technologies, robotics, IoT and automation systems were demonstrated, as well as a special stand of the STEAM Center of the Ministry of Education of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and postage stamps prepared by the Nakhchivan Post and Telecommunications Center for the first time were demonstrated.

Three panel discussions were held according to the program. The sessions included an exchange of views on the topics of "Smart city management, digital education, innovation and technologies of the future", "Smart village, water resources and green energy solutions", as well as "Innovative city infrastructure and the future of public management" was held.

The projects presented within the framework of the festival were evaluated by independent experts and the winners were determined. At the end of the event, the jury, panel participants and media representatives were presented with letters of appreciation, project participants were presented with certificates, and the winning teams were presented with diplomas and cash prizes.

According to the results of the evaluation, the “Sigma” team was awarded the 1st place. The “Loğman” team won the 2nd place. The 3rd and 4th places were taken by the teams of the STEAM Training Center and the Arazin village secondary school, respectively.