Digital Qazaqstan 2026 Forum Cements Kazakhstan's Role as Central Eurasia's Tech Hub

The international Digital Qazaqstan 2026 forum concluded in Shymkent, marking a pivotal moment for the nation's technological ambitions. The event, themed "Industry 5.0: The Power of Interaction," brought together over 6,000 participants from government, business, international corporations, and the tech community.

The forum showcased Kazakhstan's growing digital ecosystem, featuring exhibits from 40 IT companies and 36 startups. A keynote address by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov outlined the country's strategic shift towards an AI-driven economic model focused on growth, efficiency, and technological sovereignty. He highlighted the established legislative framework, the Presidential Council on AI development, and the deployment of supercomputer clusters Alem.Cloud and AL Farabium.

"We are building an ecosystem through institutions, infrastructure, and human capital," stated Bektenov. "We invite international companies to open their research hubs here." The participation of heads of government from EAEU countries underscored Kazakhstan's rising profile as a central digital hub for the region.

The business program featured more than 150 speakers across 54 sessions covering AI development, industrial digital transformation, startup ecosystems, and workforce training. Over 20 investors attended, strengthening the event's financial dimension. As a tangible outcome, 11 memorandums and agreements were signed to foster technology development and public-private cooperation.

A major highlight was the launch of Decentrathon 5.0—the country's largest multi-location hackathon—engaging over 3,000 developers from 20 cities. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence Zhaslan Madiyev noted this signaled a move from conceptual discussions to large-scale implementation. "We are building a data economy where technological sovereignty is ensured by the synergy of the state, the creative energy of startups, and the expertise of international partners," he said.

The forum also hosted the finals of the national startup battle Digital Qazaqstan Battle. Gro.now claimed first place from a field of 20 regional finalists in a competition with a prize fund of 19 million tenge. The Digital Qazaqstan Awards ceremony recognized excellence in AI implementation across government services (Alaqan), industry (Aspans), regional transformation (Ikigai Promotion), social impact (Codo), and startups (Protector AI).

Further cementing its role in cultivating regional talent, the forum hosted programming and robotics championships. The Central Asia Programming Championship gathered top developers from across Central Asia with Tajikistan’s Farhod Hakimyon taking first place alongside Kazakhstani finalists Aibar Kuanyshbay and Altair Ashurov.

Beyond panel discussions, interactive demonstrations including drone football competitions allowed participants to engage with technology firsthand.