More than 1,000 delegates packed into Dushanbe as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Startup Forum officially opened its doors, forming a cornerstone of the broader TAJ-TECH 2026 International Technology Forum. The high-profile gathering drew government officials, international organizations, technology companies, investment funds, and independent startup founders to forge new pathways for cross-border technological entrepreneurship spanning the Eurasian landmass.
Building a Unified Regional Innovation Hub
Taking the floor at the opening ceremony, SCO Secretariat Counsellor Behrooz Mokhtari laid out ambitious plans to deepen ongoing cooperation in technology and innovation. He put a sharp focus on Tajikistan’s distinct national initiative: the creation of a unified SCO startup ecosystem engineered specifically to link emerging markets throughout the wider region.
Intensive panel discussions and interactive working sessions quickly followed. These meetings brought together key delegations from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, China, and Kazakhstan, centering squarely on practical strategies for scaling technological enterprises and harmonizing innovation policies across member states.
Bridging the Gap Between Founders and Capital
Behind the plenary sessions, organizers engineered the forum to drive direct, high-value interactions between early-stage startups, venture capital investors, and public sector regulators. The core mandate centres on building concrete operational frameworks designed to accelerate capital attraction, facilitate cross-border experience sharing, and launch joint enterprise development across the bloc.
From Border Security to Economic Integration
The SCO traces its historical roots back to the 1996 formation of the Shanghai Five, a regional security mechanism launched to build military trust and slash border troop levels among Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, and Tajikistan.
Following its formal institutional establishment in Shanghai in June 2001, the organization steadily broadened its mandate toward deep economic, technological, and humanitarian integration. The bloc has since expanded significantly, bringing in India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus as full members alongside an extensive network of observer states and dialogue partners reaching across Asia and the Middle East.
What Was the Primary Goal of the Dushanbe Startup Forum?
What was the primary goal of the Dushanbe Startup Forum?
The forum aimed to establish direct interaction between startups, investors, and government bodies to facilitate capital attraction, experience sharing, and joint projects among SCO member states.
Who attended the technology event in Tajikistan?
Over 1,000 participants attended, including representatives from government bodies, international organizations, technology companies, investment funds, and regional startup ecosystems from nations such as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, China, and Kazakhstan.
How many full member states currently belong to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?
The SCO includes ten full member states, with Belarus joining as the tenth member on July 4, 2024, alongside founding and subsequent members including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, and Iran.
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