- How do large corporations look for startups to implement their ideas?

- Most often, large corporations and companies are focused on finding creative solutions abroad, which costs them much more than the necessary costs. Astana Hub is a platform that provides new opportunities for cooperation between companies and technology startups. How it works? A startup offers its own optimal solution to a particular problem. The Corporation is considering these proposals. As a result, the company receives a good quality service at an affordable cost, and a startup receives experience of working with a large company and another case in its piggy bank.

- How does Astana Hub help companies find startups?

- We, as a technopark of IT startups, have an extensive database of technological projects and developments, which is regularly updated through hackathons, challenges, demo days, and so on. To find a solution for a specific problem, we conduct technology scouting. The essence of scouting is as follows: the company provides the terms of reference, we place it on the astanahub.com platform. Next, startups apply for participation, thereby recruiting potential participants to solve this case.

- Please tell us about the diagnostics that you carried out at the gas stove manufacturing plant.

- The Almaty plant of household appliances is a new enterprise aimed at the production of gas and electric stoves, burners and devices for furnaces, with a capacity of up to 200 thousand stoves per year and the creation of 200 new jobs. My colleagues and I went to the enterprise for the first stage of diagnostics. The following points were identified: the need to take into account spare parts that are supplied directly from abroad, the search for local entrepreneurs for the production of metal, and in the future - the need to automate some processes when the levels and quantity of manufactured equipment increase. Based on the results of the diagnostics, we made recommendations and announced technology scouting among startups for each of these solutions.

- What can you say about the tools that are used most often for the digitalization of processes?

- One of the most important and key steps that needs to be implemented for digitalization is the internal transfer of paper processes to electronic ones. This includes workflow for HR and internal processes. If the company is small, then almost all the processes of the company can be transferred to cloud solutions. This improves the conditions for remote work. But first of all, for the changes to be effective, management must understand the importance of creating a digital strategy.

Interviewed by Aruzhan Baizakova