Alatau Hub: A New Stage in the Development of the IT Industry in Almaty Region

The regional innovation center Alatau Hub has been officially launched in the administrative center of Almaty region, the city of Konaev. An exhibition featuring major IT companies in the country was organized as part of the hub's opening.


Alatau Hub, like other regional innovation centers in the country, will broadcast educational and incubation programs from Astana Hub, becoming the main venue for various events, including meetups, Pizza Pitch, workshops, Speaker Talks, Idea Battle, and much more. These events will foster the formation and development of the IT community in the region, as well as the exchange of knowledge and experience.

"The opening of the IT hub represents an important step in developing technological infrastructure and supporting innovative ideas in the region. Alatau Hub will set new standards for the development of the IT community in the Almaty region. Its goal is to popularize technological entrepreneurship, build a startup culture, and advance the IT sector and digital education in the region," said Murat Madigulov, Chief of Staff of the Akim of the Almaty region, in his welcome speech.

As of today, Alatau Hub is the 14th regional hub launched under the management of Astana Hub. The main goal is to cover all regions of the country by the end of this year. Each regional IT hub has community managers who help anyone interested in developing their skills in the IT field.

"The development of regional hubs is one of Astana Hub's priorities, aimed at forming local IT communities, creating a sustainable flow of IT talents, and developing them in Kazakhstan's regions. Our regional hubs play a key role in creating and maintaining an ecosystem that fosters innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological progress. The youth get the opportunity not only to learn but also to apply their knowledge in practice by creating their own companies and innovative products. This contributes to the creation of new jobs, economic growth, and the enhancement of the country's competitiveness on the international stage," said Daniya Akhmetova, Managing Director of Astana Hub.

Businesses often become important partners in initiatives to open innovation centers. An example is the support for Mangystau Hub in Aktau by Sergek Group, as well as the funding provided by Freedom Finance, a subsidiary of the international company Freedom Holding Corp., for the creation of Aqtobe IT Hub. The launch of Alatau Hub was made possible through sponsorship support from IT companies Sergek Group and Integra.

"Kazakhstan is showing excellent results in digitalization on the global stage. However, improving the IT talent pool requires conducive conditions. As a modern company, we understand this and want to create a favorable atmosphere for innovation and community development. Therefore, the renovation of the Alatau Hub premises, like Mangystau Hub, was another challenge for us that we successfully met. We are confident that our joint efforts will make the regions of the country even more attractive to investors and IT professionals," said Aset Akhmetov, CEO of Sergek Group.

In his Address to the Nation "The Economic Course of a Fair Kazakhstan," President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of expanding the innovation ecosystem at the regional level and tasked broad scaling of Astana Hub's experience.

"Since 2023, more than 1,000 events have been held in regional hubs, showcasing over 300 startup ideas. More than 80 IT companies from the regions have become participants in our technopark. We are also launching various programs in partnership with organizations such as Google Developers Group, USAID, Digital Nomads, and inDrive specifically for regional hubs. These include webinars, competitions, hackathons, and we are starting to develop game development in the regions of Kazakhstan," noted Aida Dusova, Director of the Regional Development Office of Astana Hub.

As of today, through the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan and with the support of Astana Hub, local authorities, and private partners, 14 IT hubs are successfully operating in the country: Abai IT Valley, Kyzylorda Hub, Digital Jetisu, Zhambyl Hub, Oskemen IT Hub, Jaiq Hub, Turkistan IT Hub, Qostanai IT Hub, Aqtobe IT Hub, Aqmola IT Hub, Pavlodar IT Hub, Terrikon Valley, Mangystau Hub. This list, along with Alatau Hub, will be expanded by the end of this year with new IT hubs in Atyrau, Shymkent, Zhezkazgan, Petropavlovsk, and Zhanaozen.

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