Webinar: Youth Entrepreneurship in the SCO Countries in the Age of Digital Economy

On 29 October 2020, the webinar Youth Entrepreneurship in the SCO Countries in the Age of Digital Economy took place, joined by SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov.

Over 350 people from the SCO space and other countries participated in the online event via Zoom, including entrepreneurs, scientists, representatives of public organisations and students. Moreover, 250 students and lecturers from Kunming University, China, took an interest in the webinar offline.

In his welcoming remarks, the SCO Secretary-General stressed the importance of developing entrepreneurship among the SCO youth and shared his vision of e-commerce's growing role.

"The future will belong to those who will be able to effectively use the enormous potential of the IT industry. In this sense, it is very important for the young generation of the SCO space to actively hone their skills in software and various platforms used in their areas," Mr Norov said.

Considering the importance of innovations and the digital economy as key factors of economic growth, the SCO Secretary-General drew the webinar participants' attention to the measures the SCO took in the youth track.

In particular, he noted that the SCO member states spoke in favour of developing business incubators in order to improve the business climate in the region and support youth startups. The SCO International Youth Business Incubator project, implemented as part of the SCO Youth Council, aims to help train mentors for beginner startups, open business incubators for young people and hold internships in countries involved in the project.

Executive Secretary of the SCO Business Council Sergei Kanavsky noted the youth's increasing interest in developing businesses both at the local and regional levels. He also stressed that such mechanisms as joint business cooperation centres, created by the SCO Business Council Secretariat, were designed to help local entrepreneurs go international.

During the main part of the webinar, speakers talked about platforms established at the state's initiative to help both beginning and experienced entrepreneurs. Presentations were given by Skolkovo Permanent Representative to China Yevgeny Kosolapov, Director for Innovations of IT Park Uzbekistan Abdulakhad Kuchkarov, Director of the Tajikistan State Business Incubator Dilshod Jurazoda, and NETNIC Vice President and former Director of Innoway Tim Luan.

During two panel discussions, young entrepreneurs from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan shared their experience in developing startups as well as talked about difficulties they had to face at early stages of their businesses.

The webinar participants also discussed the development of e-commerce in the region and the specifics of its financial sector, logistics and localisation in the SCO countries.

Following the panel discussion, those watching asked their questions on entrepreneurship and e-commerce.