Astana Hub intends to actively develop the IT ecosystem throughout the country. The technopark is preparing to launch startup incubators and accelerator programs in 10 regions of Kazakhstan. They will start working this year in Aktau, Aktobe, Oral, Shymkent, Kyzylorda, Oskemen, Semei, Taldykorgan, Taraz, and Petropavl, said Head of the Astana Hub Educational programs office Daulet Beimurzinov. According to him, the aim of the project is to hold seminars and masterclasses for IT professionals, teaching them the basics of technological entrepreneurship. As a result, it will increase the export of Kazakh IT products, putting them in demand in the world market.
“In these regions, our managers will be involved in developing our activities and various educational programs and expanding the community of future startup developers, IT specialists, and all those who are interested in implementing technology projects. Therefore, firstly, there will be an increase in the number of startup projects, which in turn will lead to tax revenue. Secondly, the number of new jobs will grow. This will only have a positive effect on the economies of the regions and the country as a whole,” Beimurzinov said.
It bears noting that Astana Hub is developing the IT ecosystem not only in Kazakhstan but throughout the Central Asia region in general. Last year, the technopark launched the Silkway Accelerator program in partnership with Google for Startups. The second launch of the training program began in February 2023. It helps IT startups from Kazakhstan and Central Asia to build business processes, attract investment, scale up, and enter foreign markets.
“One of Astana Hub’s most recent achievements is that we have become the official representative of the Google for Startups acceleration program. It covers Central Asian countries, including Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, and this year we are adding Georgia. Startup creators from these countries will work offline with certain experts and mentors to develop their projects. So it’s a great compliment to our technopark that Google recognized it and chose as the official host of this program,” he added.