Innovation - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 44

Kazakhstan-Canada Relations

Beyond Resources: Ambassador Kussainov on Kazakhstan and Canada’s Partnership in AI, Education, and Innovation

For decades, Kazakhstan and Canada built their partnership around natural resources. Today, that relationship is expanding into new territory. From artificial intelligence and innovation to education and workforce development, both countries are increasingly looking beyond traditional sectors to shape the next phase of cooperation. This trend is already reflected in economic indicators. More than 160 Canadian-linked enterprises operate in Kazakhstan, Canadian investment has exceeded U$ 6 billion since 1994, and bilateral trade reached approximately U$ 458 million in 2025. At the same time, sectors that will shape the competitiveness of both economies in the coming decades are gaining greater importance. “I believe Kazakhstan-Canada relations are entering a new and dynamic phase,” said Dauletbek Kussainov, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Canada, in an interview with The Times of Central Asia. According to him, changes in the global economy are creating new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries. “Canada brings world-class expertise, technology and investment, while Kazakhstan offers significant resource potential, industrial capacity, and a strategic position connecting major markets,” the ambassador said. Although mining and energy remain central to bilateral cooperation, the scope of engagement is expanding into areas linked to technology, innovation and workforce development. This shift is also visible in the practical agenda of bilateral relations. In June, Astana hosted several major events involving Canadian business representatives. The Astana Mining & Metallurgy Congress brought together representatives of around 70 companies from 15 countries, including Canada, while the seventh meeting of the Kazakhstan-Canada Business Council brought together more than 100 participants, including senior representatives of Kazakhstani government agencies, the business communities of Kazakhstan and Canada, experts and academics. “This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Inkai joint venture, a lasting example of successful cooperation between Canadian and Kazakh partners,” Kussainov noted. Three decades after the creation of one of the most successful joint projects in the uranium sector, bilateral cooperation is gradually moving beyond the traditional resource-based partnership and expanding into new areas, from education and technology to innovation and workforce development. From Extraction to Value Creation Critical minerals remain one of the key areas of cooperation between the two countries. As Western economies seek to diversify supplies of strategic raw materials, Kazakhstan is attracting growing attention because of its mineral resources. Canada, in turn, has one of the world’s strongest areas of expertise in geological exploration, mining engineering and sustainable resource development. According to Kussainov, the greatest potential lies in three areas: geological exploration, mineral processing, and human capital development and knowledge transfer. Processing is becoming especially important. “Today, the key challenge for many resource-rich countries is not simply extracting minerals, but creating more value from them domestically,” the ambassador said. This point reflects a broader shift in Kazakhstan’s economic strategy. In recent years, the country has been placing greater emphasis on developing processing industries and localizing technological processes. In this context, Canadian expertise in engineering, metallurgy, processing technologies and industrial project management is particularly relevant. The discussion is not limited to traditional industrial competencies. “The same applies...

AIRUN CEO Chingiz Arziev on Building Kyrgyzstan’s Sovereign AI

The Times of Central Asia was delighted to interview Chingiz Arziev, CEO of AIRUN a Kyrgyzstan-based company developing AI infrastructure for the Kyrgyz language. AIRUN’s technology includes a large language model, speech recognition, text-to-speech tools, AI translation, and digital avatars designed for use in government, education, media, business, and public services. Chingiz Arziev spoke to TCA about the challenge of building AI for a low-resource language, why digital sovereignty matters for Kyrgyzstan, and how the company hopes to take its experience to other countries facing similar language and technology challenges. TCA: To begin with, can you tell us a little about yourself: where you grew up, what you studied, and how you first became interested in technology? Chingiz Arziev: I was born and raised in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. My interest in technology started very early. Around the age of nine, I discovered design software: Photoshop, Illustrator, and CorelDRAW. I was not only learning how to use them, but also comparing their interfaces and trying to understand what made one product more intuitive than another. At around 14, I became interested in motion design, 3D graphics, and digital sculpting. I studied Adobe After Effects, Blender, and ZBrush. Whatever software I was learning, I was always interested in the same thing: user experience. Already by the age of 16, I had started learning HTML and CSS to begin building websites and landing pages. Looking back, the common thread has always been understanding how technology works and how it can solve real problems for people. TCA: Was there a particular moment when you realized that artificial intelligence could become a serious field for you personally? Chingiz Arziev: I have always been drawn to advanced engineering and emerging technologies. In 2015, I became deeply involved in the blockchain space. The architectures, protocols, and decentralized systems being developed at the time felt completely new and inspiring. But even that did not compare to what happened during the AI boom of 2022. I still remember the day I sent my first prompt to ChatGPT. For me, that was the moment everything changed. I immediately saw the direction technology would take over the next 20 years. After that, I spoke about artificial intelligence everywhere. I talked about how AI would transform industries, reshape professions, automate routine work, and fundamentally change the labor market. Many friends and colleagues thought I was exaggerating. But I had spent years following companies such as Boston Dynamics, Tesla, Unitree, and DJI. Because of that, I saw a broader picture. Artificial intelligence would not develop in isolation. It would advance alongside robotics, autonomous systems, and automation. After sending that first prompt to ChatGPT, I knew I wanted to dedicate my career to artificial intelligence. TCA: How did the idea for AIRUN first come about, and what problem were you trying to solve? Chingiz Arziev: For countries with low-resource languages, the need for sovereign AI has existed for a long time. The challenge was never the idea itself. The challenge was execution, expertise, infrastructure, and...

SelectUSA Investment Summit: U.S.-Kazakhstan Trade and Investment Relations on the Rise

Despite global economic headwinds and ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Kazakhstan is doubling down on its efforts to deepen commercial ties with the United States, an ambition on full display at this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. The annual forum, organized by the U.S. Department of Commerce, serves as the U.S. government’s flagship platform for attracting foreign direct investment. While SelectUSA is designed to attract foreign direct investment into the United States, Kazakhstan’s presence also reflects a broader shift: Kazakhstani companies are increasingly looking for ways to enter and scale in the U.S. market. [caption id="attachment_48403" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Magzhan Ilyassov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the U.S. - image: TCA[/caption] “Kazakhstan views the United States not only as a strategic partner, but as an emerging priority destination for long-term investment and technological collaboration,” said Magzhan Ilyassov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the United States. “One of our missions is to facilitate collaboration for Kazakh companies to enter the American market while strengthening bilateral trade and innovation ties.” That vision is being driven in large part by Kazakhstan’s private sector. “We already have a significant number of companies operating in the U.S. market, including in fintech and construction,” said Timur Turlov, founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp. “We have learned how to meet international standards, and the products being developed within our ecosystems today are becoming truly global. I genuinely believe that our competitiveness has grown, and our business culture has matured. We are now going to see many more success stories of our companies expanding beyond Kazakhstan.” SelectUSA says its investment summit has helped generate more than $250 billion in new U.S. investment projects, supporting more than 125,000 jobs across the United States and its territories. This year marked a milestone in that evolving relationship. Kazakhstan became the first country from Central Asia and the South Caucasus to host an investment and trade roundtable at SelectUSA. The roundtable, focused on “Strategic Sectors and U.S. Market Entry Opportunities,” brought together government officials, investors, and business leaders, underscoring Kazakhstan’s transition from participant to initiative-taking player within SelectUSA. [caption id="attachment_48401" align="aligncenter" width="833"] U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Julie Stufft - image: TCA[/caption] U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan Julie Stufft said that a delegation of 30 Kazakhstani firms representing various business sectors has come to the U.S. for the summit to pursue trade and investment prospects. "This is a historic event for our relations and for Kazakhstani business - one that truly demonstrates the level of development Kazakhstani companies and investors have achieved, enabling them to enter the world's largest market: the United States," Ambassador Stufft stated. The roundtable highlighted a clear trend: Kazakhstani firms are increasingly looking outward. Companies from sectors including manufacturing, agri-tech, healthcare, food production, and digital platforms presented plans for entering or expanding in the U.S. market, while also outlining the challenges of regulatory compliance, localization, and competition. Support from institutions like SelectUSA and the U.S. Commercial Service remains critical in navigating these complexities. Economic conditions are...

INMerge Tashkent Showcases Rise of Uzbekistan as Regional Innovation Hub

On April 30, investors, founders and corporate leaders gathered in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, for the latest incarnation of the INMerge Innovation Summit. The traveling series followed an earlier session in Istanbul and will lead into the main summit scheduled for October 8-9 in Baku. In Tashkent, discussions centered on a question that continues to define Uzbekistan’s digital trajectory: how to turn rapid growth into a sustainable, interconnected ecosystem capable of competing beyond national borders. Two core discussions framed the agenda. The first focused on how companies are building digital ecosystems around everyday user needs. The second addressed a more structural issue: whether capital alone is enough to build what some participants called a “Digital Silk Road,” or whether deeper foundations are required. A Rising Regional Star The series of summits has been organized by PASHA Holding, an Azerbaijani conglomerate owned by the ruling Aliyev and Pashayev families. For Tughra Musayeva, Head of Innovations at PASHA Financial Holding and Managing Partner at INMerge Ventures, Uzbekistan stands out as a "rising star of the region". “It’s rich in human talent and capital, and increased political support for innovation and tech infrastructure is already showing results," she told The Times of Central Asia on the sidelines of the event. "In the coming years, we’re going to see many interesting startups and projects emerging from Uzbekistan.” Musayeva challenged a common assumption about emerging tech markets – that they remain dependent on foreign expertise. In her view, Tashkent already has most of the elements needed to sustain growth internally. “What we see right now is a very self-sufficient platform. There is infrastructure and the right actors are in place. The next step is about scaling, especially across borders,” she said, pointing to her ambition to increase cross-border collaboration between Central Asia and the Caucasus. A similar emphasis on connectivity came from her colleague Ulviyya Mehraliyeva, innovation events manager at PASHA Financial Holding and a member of the INMerge team. For her, the Tashkent gathering was part of a broader effort to link ecosystems that often develop in isolation. “What differentiates us is our focus on connecting ideas, people, ecosystems, and talent with opportunities," she told TCA. “We believe Tashkent has huge potential. There has been significant investment and development in the startup ecosystem.” To her, the city is already emerging as a regional hub, but she cautioned that Uzbekistan still has a lot to learn from outside. “It’s both building your own ecosystem while also learning from others. This is a stage of development. Every region goes through it,” she said. “We believe that collaboration between countries like Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will only strengthen that.” [caption id="attachment_48170" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Image: TCA[/caption] The View from the Ground Practitioners working within Uzbekistan’s tech sector were more circumspect. Dalerkhon Nodirov, CEO of IT Park Ventures, offered a more measured view of the country’s technological independence, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. “We don’t yet have our own AI models,” he said. “At this stage, we still depend...

Alatau

Alatau: Inside Kazakhstan’s $20 Billion “City of the Future”

Details about the ambitious plans for Alatau city were presented to a joint session of Kazakhstan’s parliament on March 20. Authorities are moving ahead full-speed on the project to build the new city that one day could be home to some two million people. According to the plans, Alatau will be a unique city, not only in Kazakhstan, but in the world. [caption id="attachment_45827" align="aligncenter" width="1704"] Image: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) [/caption] From Village to Metropolis Alatau city is being built on the site of what was the village of Zhetygen, some 50 kilometers north of Almaty. It will occupy an area of some 88,000 hectares, “larger than both Singapore and Seoul.” Relieving the congestion of Kazakhstan’s commercial capital was one of the major concerns when selecting a site for the new city. Another consideration was Alatau’s location along the Middle Corridor, the developing East-West trade route linking Europe and China. Alatau city will have an airport and railway junctions. Alatau city will have four districts – Green, Growing, Golden, and Gate. [caption id="attachment_45826" align="aligncenter" width="1704"] Image: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) [/caption] The Gate district will be the business and financial area and is where the airport and railways will be located. It will also be the southern-most area of the city and therefore closest to Almaty. The Golden district will be the “hub of knowledge, healthcare, and innovation,” the location of hospitals and other medical facilities, tech centers, and educational institutions able to take 40,000 students are planned for the district. The Growing district will be the industrial and logistics center for export-oriented trade. It will include clusters for food, chemicals, building materials, and light industry. The Green district, on the shore of Kapchagay Lake and with the Kaskelen River running through it, will be the recreational and tourist area of the city. [caption id="attachment_45828" align="aligncenter" width="1704"] Image: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) [/caption] Alatau city lies along the main road between the cities of Almaty and Konayev (the “gambling capital of Kazakhstan"). Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Boumbayev told parliament on March 20 that testing of air taxis to ferry people between Almaty and Alatau would start this year, and within two to three years, operations would open to the public. Bozumbayev said the flight time would be 10-15 minutes. Additionally, expansion of the Almaty metro system is progressing with plans for the Green Line to eventually reach Alatau. Alatau will be a smart city and will be developed under the principle “digital by default,” meaning people will be encouraged to go online as much as possible for goods and services, but will still offer support for those who prefer to use traditional means. Financing The Kazakh authorities are expecting construction of Alatau city to require some 10 trillion tenge (about $20.836 billion) of investment by 2050. Kazakhstan is seeking foreign investment and offering advantageous conditions to foreign companies. Deputy Prime Minister Bozumbayev said, “The tax model is described separately: incentives are proposed to be granted only...

TCA Interviews

The Future of Kyrgyz Tech – Scaling Global Companies, Attracting Foreign Capital

In the second installment of our exclusive two-part interview, The Times of Central Asia continues its deep dive into Kyrgyzstan’s evolving tech landscape with Elena Nechaeva, Head of Communications at the High Technology Park of the Kyrgyz Republic (HTP). Last week, we explored the startups and entrepreneurs who are currently building and scaling global businesses. If you missed it, you can read the first part of the interview here. This week, we focus on policy reform, cross-border cooperation, investor outreach, and the path ahead for Kyrgyz entrepreneurs in an increasingly globally competitive market. [caption id="attachment_40428" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Image: The High Technology Park, Kyrgyz Republic[/caption] TCA: In terms of regulation and policy, what improvements or reforms would you like to see to better support innovation? Elena Nechaeva: There are several policy improvements that could really accelerate innovation in Kyrgyzstan, and many tech leaders have been very open about them. One of the biggest needs is a clearer national strategy for startups. Now, it’s not fully defined who exactly drives startup development and what the government’s long-term role should be. A coordinated approach with clear ownership would help the ecosystem grow much faster. Another important area is venture legislation and a stronger legal framework. Founders and investors often mention the need for a proper venture law, elements of English common law, and better protection of intellectual property. These changes would make it far easier to attract long-term capital and for investors to feel confident working with local companies. There’s also a lot of focus on the importance of modernizing higher education and expanding international partnerships. Strong engineering programs and links between academia and industry are essential for deep-tech development. And finally, Kyrgyzstan needs policies that help retain and attract talent. The digital nomad visa is already showing positive results, but it can be expanded. TCA: How does the Kyrgyz Republic's tech ecosystem compare to others in Central Asia or the wider region? Nechaeva: If you look at the region by population size, Kyrgyzstan is much smaller - about 7 million people, compared to nearly 20 million in Kazakhstan and over 36 million in Uzbekistan. And yet, with a far smaller talent pool and fewer resources, the country already exports more than $130 million in IT services, almost entirely to global markets. Whilst Kyrgyzstan’s tech ecosystem is smaller than some of our neighbors, it is one of the fastest-growing. What makes it different is that it is being developed from the bottom up - driven by founders, engineers, and communities rather than large state programs. That’s why the ecosystem is very agile, open, with a real-world focus on exports. Another difference is the mindset: Kyrgyz startups grow with a “global from day one” approach. They don’t build for a domestic market - they build for the U.S., Europe, and the wider world from day one. That creates a very different culture and pushes teams to compete internationally right from the start. So, while our ecosystem is smaller in size, it’s fast, flexible, and...