Digital Technologies - The Times Of Central Asia

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Digital Technologies

EDB Releases Finance for Kazakhstan’s Digital Investment Platform

Following an agreement signed by the EDB and the Investment Committee of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Information Technology JSC, in July, the Eurasian Development Bank’s Fund for Digital Initiatives has allocated the first tranche for a project to establish a National Digital Investment Platform in Kazakhstan. The platform aims to provide comprehensive support to investors and investment projects by streamlining interactions between government authorities and the quasi-government sector to promote investments in Kazakhstan’s economy, and will coordinate and optimize the selection and registration of investment projects, the conclusion of investment agreements, and their monitoring. In addition, the project is expected to serve as a digital transformation model for attracting and supporting investment which can be implemented in other EDB member states: Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The platform which already has 755 registered investment projects, will become fully operational by 31 July 2025. Back in March, The Times of Central Asia reported Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov's announcement that to achieve the target of increasing the Kazakh economy to $450 billion by 2029, at least $150 billion of foreign investment was required during the interim period.

Digitization

Kazakhstan’s Largest Hackathon to Take Place Across the Country

Decentrathon 2.0, Kazakhstan's largest multi-location hackathon, will be held on October 18-19 across major cities, including Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Karaganda, and others, gathering more than 2,500 developers from the country’s 17 regions to compete for a $50,000 prize. According to the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, participants will tackle challenges related to AI, Blockchain, GameDev, and Telegram mini apps. Additionally, a virtual job fair will offer developers the chance to connect with top companies and explore local and international career opportunities. Organized by the Blockchain and AI Technology Center (BAITC) and Astana Hub, with support from the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, this year’s hackathon will be an expanded including leading universities and tech parks, making it a truly national event. The inaugural event in 2023 gathered more than 1,500 participants from nine regions. Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry, stated that: "Decentrathon is the first large-scale IT event spanning every region of Kazakhstan and one of the key initiatives of the Generative Nation movement this year. Our goal is to drive the country's AI transformation. Initiatives like this must have a national scope, providing young talents across Kazakhstan with the opportunity to contribute to technological and AI development." Magzhan Madiyev, CEO of Astana Hub, added, "AI engineers play a pivotal role in Kazakhstan's AI transformation. The Generative Nation movement’s initiatives focus on developing human capital in AI, enabling them to work on projects that will transform our country and have a global impact."

Digital Technologies

Start of Robot Deliveries in Almaty

Almaty is now using Yandex Qazaqstan robots for home deliveries of orders from restaurants and cafes via its Yandex Go service. Equipped with sensors, including lidar and cameras, which enable them to recognize objects and avoid obstacles and pedestrians, as well as a neural network system capable of recognizing traffic lights and road signs, the robots move independently around the city. With a capacity of 60 liters, each robot's cargo compartment can accommodate, for example, several pizzas and drinks, accessed by customers via the Yandex Go app. During the first phase, the robots will operate within one city district but in time, travel further afield and expand connections between new cafes and restaurants. Welcoming the initiative, Zhanabek Olzhas Nurzhanuly, head of Almaty's digitalization department, said the use of the robots could help make the city greener and more convenient for residents. In addition to making deliveries, robots have also appeared in Yandex Maps, where they can replace the usual navigation cursor via a simple app. update. Delivery robots are actively used in several countries. For example, Starship Technologies' robots have already made over 5 million deliveries in Estonia, the UK, and U.S. In the latter, in partnership with Grubhub, they mainly serve university campuses, and in Europe, robots deliver food and goods via apps such as Bolt Food,

Digital Technologies Finance

National Bank of Kyrgyzstan Announces 2027 Launch for Digital Som

Kyrgyzstan plans to introduce the digital som by 2027, with the National Bank proposing amendments to the Constitutional Law "On the National Bank" to facilitate this. The proposal includes creating a legal framework and outlining the National Bank's new functions and powers, focusing on issuing and managing the digital som. This digital currency aims to enhance the financial sector, improve public administration, and foster innovation in payment systems, offering benefits like more transparent and secure transactions, reduced bureaucratic obstacles, and convenient access to financial services through mobile applications.

Start-ups Digital Technologies International Cooperation

Kazakhstan’s Al-Farabi Innovation Hub Boosts Start-Up Opportunities in Saudi Arabia

A memorandum of strategic partnership has been signed by Kazakhstan’s Al-Farabi Innovation Hub and Saudi Arabia’s Al Rajhi International for Investment. The intention behind the agreement is to create a business accelerator for technology companies from Kazakhstan and Central Asia in Saudi Arabia, and provide opportunities for start-ups to pilot their practices, identify local business partners and secure venture capital. Supported by the Kazakh Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, the Kazakh-Saudi Business Council, and Astana Hub, the partnership will help expand the potential of Central Asian start-ups in Saudi Arabia by providing easier access to new capital and opportunities to both expand and compete globally. Emphasizing the significance of the agreement, Aslan Sultanov, founder, and CEO of Al-Farabi Innovation Hub, stated, “We are aimed at creating the best conditions for start-ups from Kazakhstan and Central Asia and strive to provide maximum development opportunities in the MENA market.” The Al-Farabi Innovation Hub was set up to attract talented entrepreneurs and innovative start-ups from Kazakhstan and Central Asian countries to Saudi Arabia.

Bilateral Investment Digital Technologies Foreign Cooperation

Kazakhstan Promotes Investment Opportunities in South Korea

On June 4, Seoul hosted a seminar organized by Caspian Group Korea and several Korean organizations, on the development of bilateral economic cooperation and investment opportunities offered by Kazakhstan. Endorsed by Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry as a significant platform for promoting investment opportunities to the Korean business community, the seminar was attended by deputies of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, Kim Song Won and Kim Seung Soo, and Korean companies including Samsung, Hyundai, KPMG Korea, KT, and CJ. In his address, Deputy of the National Assembly Kim Song Won referred to the important relationship between Kazakhstan and Korea, and emphasized the need to create synergy by combining advanced Korean technologies and rich Kazakh natural resources. Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Republic of Korea, Nurgali Arystanov, likewise welcomed strengthening cooperation between the two countries and particularly, the input of Korea’s experience in Kazakhstan's industrial development, smart city technologies, healthcare systems, as well as agriculture and smart farms. Focus then turned to the new Alatau City project, an ambitious centre in Kazakhstan which designed to attract for Korean advanced technologies, will play a significant role in strengthening bilateral investment cooperation and the development of sustainable urban infrastructure.