Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Azerbaijan will produce about 5,000 computers of the Taiwan-based company Acer next year with affordable prices.

Sayid Guliyev, CEO of the newly created H-Tech Company, said that production of computer hardware Acer will begin in February 2016 at the production facilities of the Mingachevir High Tech Park, a branch of the High Tech Park located in Baku.

“At the initial stage the company plans to manufacture Acer desktops, that is regarded as a product of low price segment, while later on plans to deploy production of the entire product line of the vendor,” Guliyev said.

The company is keen to increase the volume of production by five times in case the ongoing talks with the country's governmental agencies succeed, he added.

In addition, it is possible to deploy manufacturing high-tech products of other world vendors in Azerbaijan as well, he noted.

The CEO promises the cost of the final product to be produced in Mingachevir High Tech Park to be competitive.

“This project is the first in the CIS for Acer, and the company is ready to give us the necessary support. Also, the presence of customs and tax benefits -- since our company is a resident of the High Tech Park -- is another important factor that allows us to bring to market the products at more affordable prices," Guliyev stressed.

In addition, the company is negotiating with major vendors such as Intel and Microsoft, which can also offer their support to local production, he added.

The manufacturer first plans to sell its devices at the shops of BestComp Group Company, and in the later stage to expand the distribution network.

“We began the production at our own capital, but we are in negotiations with the State Fund of Information Technology to attract additional financial resources. Acer also provides support through the time frame and special credit terms that allow us to obtain technology and components necessary for the assembly,” Guliyev said.

H-Tech Company was based on the KUR plant, established ten years ago, as the only industrial enterprise engaged in the assembly-line production of computer equipment and electronics in the South Caucasus.

The Mingachevir High Tech Park plans to start production of various high-tech products under the brand Made in Azerbaijan in the near future.

An initial investment of 2 million manats (about $1.9 million) was allocated to the project.

An incubation business center was already established on the territory of the Mingachevir branch. The business incubator is organized on the principle of the incubator operating in Baku and contributes to support innovative ideas and projects as well as new technological solutions at the regional level.

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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’s staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar

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