In March 2025 Azerbaijan approved its Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2025–2028. Then on 11 February 2026, at a meeting chaired by President Ilham Aliyev, the Action Plan for Accelerating Digital Development for 2026–2028 was adopted and a Digital Development Council was created. This shows that digitalisation is no longer a set of separate projects but a single state-level priority.
What does the plan cover?
- Unified public services: all digital government services will be delivered only through MyGov and MyGov Business, and separate portals will be phased out.
- The "Once Only" principle: the state won't ask citizens and businesses again for documents it already holds, and a State Data Hub will be created.
- Artificial intelligence: high-performance computing infrastructure, AI-based services, 24/7 virtual assistants and a legal basis for scaling AI solutions tested in the "Regulatory Sandbox".
- Open data for business: access to government data via APIs.
- Innovation financing: a legal framework for venture financing, crowdfunding and angel investors, plus a "Fund of Funds" with local and international funds.
- Talent: "Digital Nomad" and "Digital Talent" visas, tax incentives for freelancers, support for local innovative products in public procurement, and growth in ICT exports.
What does this mean for companies?
1. Non-digital processes will get more expensive. As dealings with the state move online and become data-driven, companies running on paper and manual work will lose time. Digitising internal processes now (orders, invoices, the customer base) cuts tomorrow's cost of adapting.
2. Customer expectations are changing. Once people get a public service from a 24/7 virtual assistant, they expect the same speed from a private company. A WhatsApp that answers hours later, or an office that doesn't pick up the phone, is already losing ground.
3. Open data is a new product opportunity. API access to government data lays the groundwork for new services, analytics and automation.
4. Funding routes widen for startups and tech companies. Once the venture and crowdfunding framework is in place, finding capital for local products may get easier.
A point to keep in mind
The plan sets directions, but the official announcement gives no concrete numeric targets (budget, number of services and so on). The real impact will depend on how fast it is carried out. So the smartest strategy isn't to wait for the state but to start digitalising your own business now.
Where to start?
The fastest results usually come from automating repetitive work: automatic replies to customer enquiries, automatic collection of orders and reports, CRM integration. More on this: which processes can be automated.
Want to work out together where to start digitalising your business? See our business automation service or get in touch.