Astana Hub, an international technopark of IT startups, attracted $130 million of startup investments while exporting $165 million worth of digitally-delivered services in 2022, said Yersultan Yermanov, director of the IT Industry Development Department at the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, during a Feb. 17 press briefing.
Kazakhstan plans to bring IT exports to $500 million by 2025.
“The economic profitability of any state in the world is characterized by its competitiveness in the market. The primary indicator confirming this is the volume of IT exports,” said Yermanov.
Astana Hub CEO Magzhan Madiyev said that developing the IT sector in the country’s regions is one of the priorities. The technopark’s experience will be used to launch seven IT hubs in the regions to attract new talent.
“This will enable young people to implement their ideas and tap into the global market. In particular, every year, regional hubs launch acceleration and educational programs to boost technological entrepreneurship and IT exports,” Yermanov said.
Astana Hub offers several free IT courses, such as Startup School, Freelance School, Tech Orda, and Beta Career programs. The latter, available online and offline, helps students find jobs and internships.