Kazakh and Uzbek Leaders Discuss AI Cooperation at Almaty Fair
Kickstarting the Tech Revolution: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan's Innovative Alliance
ASTANA — On March 29, during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's working visit to Kazakhstan, the heads of state checked out the Central Asian Innovation Hubs, an alliance bridging Kazakhstan's and Uzbekistan's tech powerhouses. This partnership, forged by Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan, aims to amplify the startup scene across Central Asia and foster global innovation, all showcased at the AlmatyFair.ai exhibition.
Picture credit: Akorda
Did you know? In the previous year, 39 startups from both countries graced major tech events, including the INMerge Innovation Summit, Web Summit 2024, and TechCrunch Disrupt 2024.
At the AlmatyFair.ai, the presidents inspected cutting-edge solutions in GovTech, FinTech, BigTech, and Smart City technologies while touring specialist zones featuring IT success stories, innovations, and educational projects.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev put forth the vision for the Alem.ai International Center for Artificial Intelligence, an initiative to cultivate thousands of AI specialists, boost startups, and advance research. Tokayev also presented Mirziyoyev with the blueprint for Kazakhstan's National AI Platform streamlining government processes and the AI-Sana educational program promoting AI-powered economic growth and entrepreneurship.
Revving Up the Tech Game
The Kazakh government struck an investment deal with Singapore's GK Hyperscale Ltd to build and manage two Tier 3-level hyperscale data centers. This investment, totaling $1.5 billion, will flesh out two data centers with a combined IT capacity of 200 MW and create more than 360 high-skill jobs.
The homegrown content share amounts to nearly $1.2 billion, with over half the data centers' revenue projected to come from exports, luring tech behemoths like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon to Kazakhstan.
An additional $1.2 billion will fund the acquisition of a power plant, including a wind farm and an electricity storage system. Construction is slated to commence in early 2026, with the first data center module popping up in 2027.
The AlmatyFair.ai featured the riveting AI Startup Showdown, where teams put forth AI solutions for a $10,000 cash prize and a crack at the Hero Training Program acceleration initiative in Silicon Valley.
Fun fact: The Central Asian Innovation Hubs alliance is a regional collab aimed at beefing up the startup ecosystem in Central Asia and promoting regional cooperation in artificial intelligence and emerging tech. The alliance's objectives are to provide startups with broader market access, capital, workspace, and mentorship networks, establish international hubs and acceleration programs, and foster regional AI innovation, as displayed at Dubai AI Week in 2025.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg, folks! 🚀🌟🚀 Keep your eyes peeled for more breakthroughs in the world of AI and tech! 🤖🌍🚀
In the realm of innovation and collaboration, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan's alliance,Central Asian Innovation Hubs, is showcasing the fusion of technology and artificial intelligence to encourage startup growth and global innovation.
The Alem.ai International Center for Artificial Intelligence, an initiative by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, aims to cultivate AI specialists, boost startups, and advance research, reinforcing this focus on artificial intelligence within the alliance.
