In December 2024, Kazakhstan will launch a new program aimed at attracting IT specialists from around the globe. This was announced by the Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry, Jaslan Madiyev, during a government meeting, as reported by a correspondent from the business information center Kapital.kz.
“A special visa for IT specialists has been introduced – the Digital Nomad Visa. This allows for an electronic visa to be obtained through simplified procedures. We are also working on launching another program - Digital Nomad Residency. This program simplifies the process of obtaining a residence permit online. The launch is planned for next month,” he noted.
The minister reminded that Kazakhstan has the Tech Orda program aimed at training 20,000 IT specialists by 2025.
“Over the past three years, around 82,000 IT specialists have been trained. More than 16,000 specialists have been prepared by private IT schools. We aim to ensure the training of qualified personnel to meet labor market demands. To date, there are already successful stories of graduates from the Tech Orda program. They have transitioned into IT from entirely different sectors,” the minister stated.
To foster development in this area, it is essential to attract the attention of the international professional community. To this end, the ministry organizes forums and conferences.
“From September 3 to 5, 2024, the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation was held for the first time in Kazakhstan, in Astana. The conference was attended by 186 delegates from over 30 countries, with the total number of participants exceeding 1,500. One of the key outcomes was the adoption of the Astana Ministerial Declaration, which outlines the next steps for accelerating digital transformation in the region,” the minister highlighted.
From September 15 to 20, 2024, Kazakhstan hosted the ICPC for the first time – the largest student championship in the world for competitive programming. This strengthened the country’s position as an IT hub in Central Asia. Out of 73,000 participants from 110 countries, 142 teams from 50 countries reached the finals. The MUIT team ranked among the top 30 teams in the world.
“The export of IT services from Kazakhstan is showing rapid growth. In 2023, the export volume reached $529 million. For the first half of 2024, this figure was $306 million. We are confidently moving towards achieving the $1 billion mark by 2026. Currently, IT services from Kazakhstan are exported to 86 countries. This confirms the high demand for our digital solutions and our ability to compete on a global scale,” clarified the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry.
Astana Hub, in collaboration with Google for Startups, conducts a 12-week acceleration program called Silkway Accelerator annually. The program includes startup projects from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and other countries. A long-term partnership between Astana Hub and Draper University has been established as part of the Hero Training program.
“To successfully enter the American market, we launched the Silicon Valley Residency Program and AlchemistX Accelerator. These programs provide startups with access to leading experts and investors in Silicon Valley. Our international network is also expanding. Currently, three international IT hubs are successfully operating in the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore,” Jaslan Madiyev noted.
All these initiatives help attract talent and open new opportunities for international cooperation for Kazakhstani startups.