ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s IT services exports grew to $306 million in the first half of 2024. This volume is expected to exceed $600 million by year-end. Over five years, exports have increased 20 times, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry Zhaslan Madiyev said during a Nov. 26 government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.
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According to the Prime Minister’s press service, Kazakhstan exports IT services to 86 countries, ranking among the world’s 30 most digitized countries and eighth in online services provision. The country is advancing in such areas as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital transformation.
Kazakhstan has formed a legislative framework to support growth, adopting the digital transformation concept and creating favorable conditions for venture markets and startup ecosystems. With over 1,500 companies, the Astana Hub technopark has become a key innovation cluster. High-potential projects, including E-commerce, BigData, GameDev, Fintech, and MedTech, are driving export growth, with a target of $1 billion in IT exports by 2026.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has set the task to increase digital technology’s contribution to 1% of GDP by 2029 and achieve 80% local content in IT services.
As stated by Bektenov, the main drivers in achieving this goal should be IT hubs and venture funds. Venture financing has grown more than sixfold in six years, and regional IT hubs play a key role in fostering local startups. Kazakhstan plans to open an additional hub in Petropavl by year-end so that their number will total 18.
Kazakhstan is also focusing on attracting global talent. The Expat Centre of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) offers streamlined government services for foreign specialists, while initiatives such as the Digital Nomad Visa and upcoming Digital Nomad Residency simplify the visa and residency processes.
The country leads Central Asia in venture deals, attracting $80 million in investments last year. Some companies’ worth, such as CITIX, Hero’s Journey, and Higgsfield AI, have reached $100 million, solidifying Kazakhstan’s position as a leading regional innovation hub.
Also, in October, Kazakhstan opened TomorrowSchool, the region’s first AI training institution, aiming to train one million specialists in AI over the next five years.
