Kazakhstan Launches New Digital Platform for Innovators
Kazakhstan Launches Centralized Digital Platform for Innovators
The Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry in Kazakhstan, Zhaslan Madiyev, recently announced the launch of a single window of the national innovation system on Astanahub.com. This centralized digital platform is designed to support and facilitate innovators in the country. The announcement was made during a government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on March 11.
According to the Prime Minister’s press service, this new system will enable scientists, startups, and businesses to access state support and collaborate effectively. The Astana Hub ecosystem has already seen success in developing deep tech startups, some of which have generated over 10.6 billion tenge (US$21.6 million) and created hundreds of jobs.
Madiyev also reported that as part of the digital transformation, 19 of the most in-demand business processes have been reengineered. This has led to improvements in research funding, accreditation certification, and scientist incentives, resulting in a 70% increase in process efficiency.
Currently, 12 types of government services related to science are available online, with over 15,000 government services provided by the end of 2024, 95% of which were processed electronically.
Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek, shared that scientific projects in Kazakhstan have contributed significantly to the economy, totaling 118.4 billion tenge (US$241.4 million). The country’s scientific potential includes 25,500 scientists, with 46% of them under the age of 40, working in 425 research organizations.
Nurbek highlighted the development of an AI program called AI-Sana, aimed at accelerating AI startups. This year, 650,000 students will take AI courses, with plans to enroll 100,000 students in courses developed with the help of Paul Kim, the chief technology officer of Stanford Graduate School of Education. Kazakhstan aims to establish 1,000-1,500 AI-focused startup teams by the end of the year.
Government funding for science in Kazakhstan has increased significantly in the past six years, reaching 252.5 billion tenge (US$514.9 million) this year. Under the Concept for the Development of Science until 2029, funding is expected to grow to 1% of GDP, as emphasized by Prime Minister Bektenov.
