Startup center
19In 2024, the Startup Center was established at the Turkmen State Institute of Finance with the aim of expanding the creative potential of professors, students, and specialists, supporting innovative ideas, and fostering early-stage entrepreneurship. The Center operates as a public initiative without creating a legal entity.
The main goal of the Startup Center is to support and develop innovative ideas, projects, and business initiatives of the institute’s professors and students, to create conditions for their practical implementation, to promote the institute’s innovative activities, to establish effective cooperation with production, and to attract grants.
The Startup Center carries out the following tasks:
1. Providing support to students, teachers, and staff in preparing and implementing innovative projects;
2. Organizing trainings and consultations to develop entrepreneurial skills among youth;
3. Creating a database of innovative ideas demanded by modern production;
4. Establishing connections between students, teachers, entrepreneurs, and investors;
5. Developing scientific-educational-production partnerships and attracting additional (financial and technical) resources;
6. Organizing competitions for carrying out scientific research and innovative projects important for production and services, and participating in them on behalf of the institute;
7. Promoting the development and introduction of new technologies and services.
The activities of the Startup Center are aimed at implementing the objectives set in the “National Program of Socio-Economic Development of Turkmenistan for 2022–2052 in the Era of Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State” and the Action Plan for its implementation. Special attention is paid to increasing the involvement of students, graduates, professors, and specialists in scientific-production projects and ensuring their innovativeness and practical significance.
At present, the Startup Center offers various services and manufactures products:
1. Works using a 3D printer:
- Printing various products from plastic and other special materials;
- Producing educational models (architectural layouts, technical and geometric forms);
- Manufacturing souvenirs and small everyday items;
- Creating brand symbols and logos.
2. Works using tufting equipment:
- Producing carpets and interior decorations with different patterns and sizes;
- Creating new types of handicrafts using modern technology;
- Producing customized products for organizations and private clients.
3. Works using laser engraving equipment:
- Engraving on the surface of various materials (wood, acrylic, plastic, metal);
- Creating logos, inscriptions, and ornaments;
- Producing personalized souvenirs.
The Startup Center provides authors with broad opportunities to test new projects in practice, create new business directions, and widely introduce innovative education.
General information on projects implemented in the Startup Center:
Student projects and initiatives:
1. Mini-brick constructor:
- Developed by students for educational purposes and creative play.
- Allows the construction of architectural objects and structures in miniature form.
- Aims to develop logical thinking and creativity among children and youth.
2. QR-tourism:
- A student project aimed at developing the tourism sector.
- Provides access to introductory videos about different places via QR codes.
- Important for advancing digital services in tourism and promoting cultural and historical sites worldwide.
3. “Smart City” projects:
- Developed by student teams to actively apply digital solutions in modern urban management.
- Include energy-saving lighting systems, environmental monitoring, and automated management systems.
- Promote the integration of innovative technologies into urban infrastructure.
4. Microgreens project:
- Cultivation of microgreens.
- Used as healthy food as well as a means of generating income through small-scale farming.
- Helps youth learn about environmentally friendly production.
5. Vertical farming project:
- An innovative method of growing vegetables and plants while saving land resources.
- Crops are cultivated indoors with the use of special lamps and water-saving technologies.
- Studied by young people as a modern solution for agriculture.
