Astana Hub attracted investments amounting to KZT 49 mln

10 December, 2018 17:16

In January 2017, Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev set a course for the third modernization of Kazakhstan. It is intended to be not just a response to new global challenges, but to be a reliable bridge to achieving the goals of the “Kazakhstan 2050” Strategy. The President called the widespread introduction of high technologies as one of the key components of the modernization, having commissioned to develop the “Digital Kazakhstan” state program. Read more in the material of the Strategy2050.kz Information Agency.

“Successful implementation of the Industry 4.0 elements is the country's national security issue. In this context the Kazakh President stressed that the “Digital Kazakhstan” state program is not a panacea. It lays foundation for the large-scale transformation of our life activities”, Dauren Abayev, the Minister of Information and Communication of Kazakhstan told.

First of all, it is competitive expansion in business environment. According to the Minister, digital economy cannot be built at the expense of a small circle of companies endowed by the state with specific powers and resources. Private business should play the key role in this economy.

“Secondly, it is the use of technologies such as cloud-based computing, AI, computer-aided learning, Big Data, Internet, etc.”, the Minister noted.

As for the digitalization expectation results, the Minister briefed on the planned statistics.

Implementation of the AI by 2030 will generate 14% growth to world GDP. It is more than the current bulk volume of industrial production of China and India.

“Thirdly, it is manpower training. Foreign employers are interested in high-end IT specialists now. Brain drain poses another risk. As the world practice shows, to achieve significant economic result it is crucial to increase the share of IT specialists at the labor market to no less than 3%”, Dauren Abayev resumed.

Here, the Minister made mention of Astana Hub’s opening.

“On November 6 this year the Head of State attended the presentation of the Astana Hub International Technology Park. Two acceleration programs carried out there helped select more than 20 startup projects with investments attracted up to 49 million tenge”, the Minister said.

According to him, the third acceleration program is underway. 38 projects have been already determined.

“The very important law “On venture capital funding” has been adopted in July this year for unimpaired operation of the startup ecosystem. It determines the norms on venture capital investments and provides conditions for facilitating visa and labor regime for international participants of the Astana Hub”, Abayev said.

According to him, this measure is necessary to attract foreign residents and experts and their convenient stay in Kazakhstan.

Another priority is the placement of prototyping laboratories on the basis of Astana Hub, as well as research centers of domestic and foreign IT-companies. This will provide Astana Hub residents with the opportunity to develop prototypes and engage in research and development.

Today Laboratories and research centers of such companies as IBM, Cisco, NOKIA, Huawei, etc. are already deployed in Astana Hub.

In addition, on the basis of Astana Hub, the work is done to support startups aimed at developing corporate innovations. At this site, startups will be able to solve real problems and work with corporations on a long-term basis.

“Astana Hub also implements educational initiatives. An academy will operate on the basis of the technology park - a platform for the implementation of educational programs in the field of technology business. Training will be held in full-time (offline) and correspondence form (online). Content and educational program will be built on the basis of the world's best practices and needs of market participants”, the Minister added.

Astana Hub is planning to reach the amount of investments in start-ups in the amount of 67 billion tenge by 2022.

In general, according to Abayev, the digital measures implemented in the current year already have an indicative economic effect in the amount of 58.3 billion tenge.

Saltanat Sarina

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