Prime Minister instructs to support domestic developers and strengthen work to attract major players to Kazakhstan
At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov the issues of development of export of IT-services and products were considered, El.kz cites primeminister.kz.
Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, made a report. The floor was also given to representatives of IT-companies: Technical Director of Netcracker Technology Pavel Gorodov, General Director of Higgsfield AI Erzat Dulat, General Director of Grand Mobile Roman Lineitsev.
As reported by the Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Zhaslan Madiyev, for the first half of 2024, the growth of exports of IT services amounted to 24%, or $306 million. Today the number of participants of Astana Hub exceeds 1.5 thousand companies, 400 of which are foreign participants.
Prime Minister emphasised that a number of Kazakhstani projects, such as Alaqan, Codiplay, CITIX, CEREBRA, OGames, Parqour, ApartX, have established themselves in foreign markets, including the USA, Arab Emirates, Netherlands, UK, Germany and other countries. The key areas of work for further growth of IT services exports were highlighted.
"The Head of State has set a task to bring the level of IT exports to $1 billion by 2026. To realise this task, work is underway to create the appropriate infrastructure and provide support to businesses in this area. This has allowed for the last 5 years to increase the volume of export of Kazakhstani IT-services more than 20 times. Further work on the growth of export of IT-services and products should focus on the development of acceleration programmes in the regions and expansion of the circle of partners-investors. Regional IT-hubs and venture funds should become locomotives," Olzhas Bektenov noted.
Head of the Government cited the example of Astana Hub, which has become an innovation cluster and a key partner for many start-ups. It was noted that the participants of the technopark are provided with tax and visa preferences, information and educational support and business development programmes. The Ministry of Digital Development together with akimats was tasked to develop a roadmap to support regional IT-hubs, following the example of Astana Hub and Karaganda Terracona Valley. Akimats have been instructed to promptly resolve the issues of financing and support of regional hubs.
The Ministry of Digital Development has been instructed to complete the work on the creation and licensing of the management company Qazaqstan Venture Group by the end of March. Olzhas Bektenov stressed that in order to provide financial support to domestic startups it is necessary to accelerate the procedures for the creation of the Venture Fund with bringing its volume to $1 billion by the end of 2025.
In addition, a task has been set to digitise all procedures for scientific and research work. Prime Minister drew attention to the fact that the relevant platform is already functioning. It is necessary to involve state bodies, quasi-state sector and subsoil users, which will increase the demand for domestic innovative developments and facilitate their entry into international markets.
At the same time, it is important to intensify the popularisation of technological entrepreneurship in the regions of Kazakhstan and the creation of conditions for improving the competencies of Kazakhstani specialists on the basis of regional IT hubs. The Ministry of Digital Development together with the interested state bodies has been instructed to update the measures of state support for IT-companies whose activities are aimed at exporting services and products.
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