IT sector - The Times Of Central Asia

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IT sector

Kazakhstan’s IT Exports Grew by Almost a Third in 2025

Kazakhstan’s IT sector continued its rapid expansion in 2025, with service exports increasing by more than 30% to reach $1 billion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev announced at a year-end press conference. At the close of 2024, Kazakhstan’s IT service exports totaled $690.7 million, a 30.5% increase over the previous year. Moreover, export volumes exceeded imports by a factor of 2.1. In 2025, exports grew by another 31%, pushing the total to the $1 billion mark, Madiyev confirmed. A key driver behind this growth has been the Astana Hub ecosystem, which unites around 2,000 IT companies and continues to serve as the cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s digital economy. According to Madiyev, the combined revenue of Hub participants exceeded $1.5 billion in 2025, marking a 20% year-on-year increase. “Through international hubs, more than 100 Kazakhstani startups have entered foreign markets,” said Madiyev. “The ecosystem has also produced the region’s first technology unicorn, Higgsfield.ai. To boost venture financing, the Qazaqstan Venture Group has been established with a target fund of $1 billion, of which $115 million has been raised so far.” Kazakhstan has also advanced in several global digital rankings. Madiyev noted that the country has solidified its position in the e-Government Development Index (EGDI), currently ranking 24th, and is among the top 10 globally in the Online Services Index (OSI). The national supercomputing cluster, alem.cloud, was launched in 2025 and is now ranked 86th in the TOP500 list of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, a benchmark achievement that places Kazakhstan at the forefront of computing power in Central Asia. In parallel, the country is advancing its artificial intelligence agenda. Kazakhstan has developed a national AI strategy and launched Qyzmet AI, a training initiative that has already covered 50,000 civil servants. Madiyev announced that AI proficiency will soon become a prerequisite for employment in the public sector. “We are making AI training mandatory for civil servants,” he said. “In the future, a lack of AI competencies will be a barrier to entering government service.” Kazakhstan is also laying the groundwork for integrating autonomous vehicles into its transport system. Madiyev revealed that a pilot project for unmanned vehicle technologies is in the works. Based on the outcome, national standards and minimum infrastructure requirements will be introduced to support broader deployment. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is also developing a system of digital passports for intercity highways to accommodate driverless transport.

Russia

U.S. Treasury Blacklists Uzbek IT Firm Over Alleged Links to Russia’s Tech Sector

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has updated its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list, adding an Uzbekistan-based company over alleged ties to Russia’s technology sector. The Tashkent-registered firm Datavice was designated for its alleged role in supporting Russia’s IT industry. According to OFAC, the company is involved in schemes connected to Russian cyber operations and efforts to help sanctioned entities evade U.S. restrictions. As a result, all Datavice assets under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and U.S. persons and businesses are barred from engaging in financial transactions with the company. The updated SDN list also includes firms based in the United Kingdom, Serbia, and Russia. U.S. officials described the move as part of a broader package targeting entities believed to be aiding Moscow in circumventing international sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine. The blacklisting comes amid growing economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United States. On November 12, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree establishing the Uzbekistan-U.S. Business and Investment Council. The council will be jointly chaired by senior officials from both countries and is expected to oversee major trade and investment initiatives. The council’s goals include attracting foreign capital through a dedicated investment fund, with backing from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Asian Development Bank.

Labor Market

Kazakh Women Increasingly Turn to IT Careers, but Face Persistent Pay Gaps

In Kazakhstan, a growing number of women are entering the IT sector, yet their salaries continue to lag behind those of their male counterparts. Women in STEM: Statistics and Trends According to a study by Ranking.kz, the number of female students enrolled in IT disciplines has more than tripled between 2019 and 2024. At the start of the 2019/2020 academic year, only 4,500 women were studying IT at universities across the country. By 2024, that number had surged to 15,300. Interest in information security has been particularly strong, with female enrolment rising 5.8-fold over this period. Despite this growth, the proportion of women among all IT students has actually declined, from 31.7% in 2019 to 24% in 2024. This shift reflects a sharp increase in male enrolment, which has skewed the overall gender balance. Women in Kazakhstan are also showing increasing interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) more broadly. In the most recent academic year, they made up the majority in several scientific disciplines. In physical and chemical sciences, women represented 75% of all students, growing 6.2 times to reach 7,100. In mathematics and statistics, 61.7% of students were women. Labor Market Disparities On the employment front, progress has been less marked. From 2019 to 2024, the share of women working in the information and communications sector remained steady at around 42%. In absolute numbers, female employment in the sector rose from 68,000 to 79,100, a 16.3% increase over five years. Nearly half of these women (35,500) work in Kazakhstan’s two largest cities, Almaty and Astana, reflecting the concentration of IT firms and economic activity in these hubs. However, some regions show stronger female representation: in the Aktobe region, women account for 71.1% of information and communications sector employees; in the Kyzylorda region, the figure stands at 56.9%. The scientific research landscape has also evolved. The number of women in research and development (R&D) increased by 43.6% over the past five years, reaching 12,900. Of these, 2,600 are in engineering and 3,600 in the natural sciences. Gender parity has nearly been achieved in these fields: women constitute 45.4% of engineering researchers and 54.3% in the natural sciences. Gender Pay Gap Persists High wages remain a key draw to the IT sector. In 2024, the average monthly salary in IT stood at $1,395, nearly double the national average of $790. Yet, a significant gender pay gap persists: on average, men in ICT earn 45.4% more than women. For instance, in the field of computer programming, male professionals earn an average of $1,930, compared to $1,327 for women. Global Context and Local Barriers Kazakhstan is not unique in facing gender inequality in IT. Globally, as of 2024, 70% of men and 65% of women had internet access. The United Nations has called for equal opportunities in digital education and careers across genders. In Kazakhstan, the gender gap in internet access is minimal, 96.6% for men and 95.9% for women aged 16-74, but entrenched social stereotypes and cultural norms still hinder...