The creative industry in the global sphere

Recent global assessments indicate that the creative economy accounts for approximately 6–7 percent of global GDP. According to the Creative Economy Outlook report, the share of the creative economy across countries varies from 0.5 percent to 7.3 percent, depending on the level of development and the scope of creative sectors. Market research shows that in 2024, global creative industries generated around USD 3 trillion in economic value, and projections suggest that this figure will exceed USD 4.2 trillion in the early 2030s. Against the backdrop of growing demand for creative services, the sector’s share could approach nearly 10 percent of global GDP by 2030. One of the key directions of the creative industry is the CulTech sphere. In Azerbaijan, CulTech is among the innovation-oriented fields receiving particular attention from the Ministry of Culture.

With the support of the Ministry, the Center for the Development of Cultural and Creative Industries is already supporting startups applying in the field of CulTech through its fourth cohort. The fourth cohort of the CulTech Incubation Program—hosted by the Creative Center and implemented by SUP VC—has become a significant milestone in the country’s creative industries ecosystem due to its dynamic development and tangible outcomes. CulTech has emerged as an innovative model that, for the first time in Azerbaijan’s creative environment, brings together young professionals working in design, culture, cinema, music, the gaming industry, digital arts, and creative technologies on a unified platform. Today, the program is generating success stories that attract attention both domestically, regionally, and globally.

Startup Showcases and Public Visibility

The activities of the fourth cohort startups have been widely showcased not only within the incubation framework but also at various creative and innovation-oriented events such as the Inmerge Summit, BAKU ID, the STEAM Azerbaijan Festival, and Nargiz Magazine’s “Force of Love.” Through these platforms, CulTech startups presented their products to local and international audiences, gaining new opportunities for partnerships and potential investment.

Within the program framework, four startups received startup certificates, while two startups were awarded grants.

CulTech participants received intensive mentorship from both local and international experts in areas including product development, creative business model design, global market entry strategies, the integration of culture and technology, branding, and content production. The involvement of professionals from Türkiye, Estonia, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Morocco, the UAE, and other countries provided participants with regional and global perspectives.

The CulTech program has also introduced thousands of students from leading national universities such as ADA University, UNEC, ADNSU, and UFAZ to rapidly developing areas of the creative industries through seminars. Some of these students joined incubation teams and gained hands-on experience in real projects.

Future Plans of CulTech

During 2025–2026, the CulTech ecosystem aims to implement large-scale initiatives, including the application of the C-HUB model in OIC countries, the expansion of CulTech–GameTech–Animation clusters, regional CulTech Roadshow programs, participation of CulTech graduates in global exhibitions and festivals, and the establishment of direct meeting platforms with international investors.