BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 7
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
A total of 91 start-up projects were approved within the framework of the Astana Hub International Technology Park of IT Startups creation, Vice-Minister of Kazakhstan’s Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry Ablaikhan Osspanov told Trend.
Osspanov said that within the framework of the Astana Hub operations 6 acceleration programs have been carried out to date, and over 2,000 people have undergone the acceleration programs.
“Some 91 startup projects launched. Overall, over 124 projects took part in the incubation program, more than 1,000 jobs were created,” he said.
In turn, a representative of Kazakhstan’s Zerde National ICT Holding told Trend that over the course of the Astana Hub International Technology Park of IT Startups operation conditions to simplify visa and labor regimes for foreign participants of the Astana Hub were created.
Zerde National ICT Holding is engaged in implementation of the 'Digital Kazakhstan' program in the country, within the framework of which Astana Hub is being developed. The main goal of the program is the improvement of Kazakhstan's economy competitiveness and quality of life through the progressive development of the digital ecosystem.
“Tax preferences for Technology Park participants in the form of simplified taxation have been adopted. The Law on Venture Financing has been signed. Nine R&D laboratories were opened bringing the total to 17 R&D laboratories of local and foreign IT companies operating in the Hub,” the Zerde official said.
Osspanov said all of the above measures have created favorable conditions for development of startup culture and attracted investments in local startup projects in the amount of 18.8 billion tenge ($46.3 million) in 2019.
“This year attraction of at least two regional accelerators or incubators supported by the technology park is planned,” he concluded.
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