Innovations in the IT Industry

In 2024, Kazakhstan's IT industry demonstrated dynamic growth. The number of IT companies reached 18,683, reflecting a 16% increase over the past three years. For example, the international tech park Astana Hub is actively contributing to the development of IT startups in Kazakhstan. The technopark has brought together over 1,500 participants, including 1,102 local and 437 foreign companies. The total revenue of its participants amounted to 1.2 trillion tenge, a 31-fold increase over the last five years. Export revenue in 2024 exceeded 140 billion tenge, marking a more than 10-fold annual growth over the last four years. Thus, Astana Hub continues to strengthen its position as the leading technopark in the region.

A key component of the innovative ecosystem is the development of regional hubs. Today, 18 such hubs are operating across the country, actively supporting the growth of local startups and entrepreneurship. All startup development programs and IT industry initiatives are available to regional IT hubs. This makes the regional hubs an essential driver of IT industry development in Kazakhstan, facilitating talent discovery and the creation of a strong innovation ecosystem.

To fully unlock the potential of the IT sector in Kazakhstan, the "Single Window" of the national innovation system was created, consolidating most of the government support measures for IT specialists, innovators, and scientists. This portal ensures transparency and effective distribution of state support measures and is used by more than half a million people annually. The portal has become a unified point of access, similar to EGOV.

Additionally, conditions are being created to attract talented professionals from around the world. The Expat Center at the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) serves as a single point for accessing government services for foreign specialists.

Export of IT Services

Kazakhstan's export of IT services is showing rapid growth. In 2023, the volume reached $529 million, and in the first half of 2024, it exceeded $305 million. This confirms the successful implementation of the President's directive to increase IT service exports to $1 billion by 2026.

Various acceleration programs are being held in Kazakhstan, with leading experts and investors attracting participation. These programs facilitate the entry of commercial products into foreign markets.

In addition, the international network is expanding. Three overseas IT hubs are now operating successfully in the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. These initiatives help attract talent and open new opportunities for Kazakhstan’s startups to collaborate internationally.

Kazakhstan is already a regional leader in venture deals. Significant investments have been attracted by companies such as CITIX, Hero’s Journey, Higgsfield AI, and others. Some of these companies have already reached valuations of $100 million. In essence, Kazakhstan is becoming a key center for innovation in the region.

Today, Kazakhstan’s IT services are exported to 86 countries, proving the high demand and the ability of domestic companies to compete successfully on a global scale. Key export destinations include Russia, Ireland, Mexico, the U.S., and Singapore.

Training IT Specialists

In 2024, the average monthly salary of IT specialists increased by 54%, reaching 673,000 tenge, reflecting the high demand for qualified personnel and competitive working conditions. Employment in the IT sector grew by 12% to 187,000 people.

To fulfill the President's directive, the Tech Orda program was launched, aiming to train 20,000 IT specialists by 2025, with support for private IT schools. Over 16,000 IT experts have been trained by private IT schools. This effort is part of a broader initiative to supply the labor market with qualified personnel. Notably, many successful Tech Orda graduates have transitioned into the IT sector from completely different industries.

Development of Artificial Intelligence

In his Address, the President emphasized the importance of AI and digital technologies for sustainable development. The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry has implemented several key initiatives in this area:

• The creation of an AI Committee to coordinate the development of the field.

• Approval of the AI Development Concept for 2024-2029.

• The development of a draft AI Law to provide the necessary legal framework for further growth.

On the President's instructions, work is underway to open an Artificial Intelligence Center in Astana. The mission of the Center is to facilitate Kazakhstan’s AI transformation by attracting talent from across the region. The Center is expected to train thousands of specialists annually, nurture hundreds of startups, and support dozens of research projects in the AI field.

Additionally, educational projects are being launched, including the TUMO center for creative technologies for schoolchildren. In October this year, the first AI school in the region, TomorrowSchool, was opened to train specialists in the AI field.

For more details, visit the official website of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan.