Kazakhstan is stepping up efforts to develop an innovative economy. All enterprises nationwide will undergo a comprehensive review ahead of summer, assessing their level of technological development and innovation activity. This directive was announced by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov at a government meeting, with the work expected to be completed by June 1. Meanwhile, an innovation headquarters will be established under the government to coordinate the sector, define technological priorities, and bring together participants across the entire innovation ecosystem — from idea generation to implementation in production. Additionally, by July 1, a digital single-window platform is set to be launched to support and monitor advanced projects.
«By 2035, the share of innovative products should reach 3% of GDP. We need innovation to make a tangible contribution to the development of the country’s industrial potential, moving beyond standalone, presented ideas and approaches. Alongside this, a publicly accessible national register of innovative projects should be created, including information on developers, technologies, and potential investors,» Bektenov said.
The government notes that digital solutions are already being actively implemented across domestic enterprises. These include data analytics, elements of artificial intelligence, machine vision systems, and industrial robots — more than 300 of which were installed in production facilities last year alone. The key focus goes beyond technology adoption to include building a sustainable scientific foundation. Additional momentum is expected from the implementation of the сoncept for the creation of knowledge-intensive territories, including a science city in Kurchatov and two technology parks in Almaty and Astana. Moreover, Kazakhstan is establishing a new system to support scientists and innovative projects, encompassing the expansion of research infrastructure and the launch of a dedicated endowment fund.
«As part of infrastructure development, 303 scientific laboratories and 62 commercialization centers have been launched to date. Financial conditions are also being expanded, with tax incentives introduced to attract industrial funding for science. A dedicated law has been adopted, and an endowment fund has been established under a new model. Currently, around 2 billion tenge has been raised, with plans to increase this to 10 billion tenge. Importantly, in close cooperation with Astana Hub and the International AI Center, Alem.ai, this ecosystem is forming a unified framework,» said Kazakh Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek.
Related Articles
