The first international Digital Qazaqstan 2026 forum kicked off in Astana. The event effectively resets the country’s technological development model.
The forum is designed from the outset as a traveling format. In the future, it will rotate across different cities and industrial hubs, progressively engaging regions nationwide. This approach reflects a new model aligning digital transformation with the real sector, where technology serves as a tool for modernizing production, infrastructure, and management processes. In this context, selecting Shymkent as the inaugural host is logical: it is one of the country’s largest economic hubs, where industrial potential calls for accelerated technological renewal.
The forum’s thematic framework is built around the concept of Industry 5.0 - a stage where digital systems do not replace humans but enhance their role.
In Kazakhstan’s context, this takes on a highly practical dimension: implementing AI-based solutions, automating production chains, and treating data as a key management resource. The focus shifts from declarations to real-world applications - solutions that can be integrated into the economy and scaled across industries and regions.
The program is structured as a multi-layered ecosystem. At its core is the business track, featuring a plenary session and industry discussions that shape the agenda at the intersection of government, business, and the tech community. Alongside this, an exhibition of solutions and startups will showcase products with a high level of readiness for deployment. A dedicated space will highlight digital creative industries, where technology extends beyond utility into game demos, animation, art projects, and interactive formats. This area will also foster informal engagement, with pitch sessions and direct networking opportunities with investors, enhancing the forum’s practical value and turning it into a hub not only for ideas but also for deals.
A key element of the startup track is the Digital Qazaqstan Battle - a national technology competition structured as an interregional initiative. In the first stage, selections are held across regions, forming a pool of finalists who advance to the main stage in Shymkent. In the final round, MVP-stage projects present their solutions to a jury, investors, and a professional audience.
The prize fund amounts to 19 mln tenge, but the value of participation goes far beyond financial rewards: the competition serves as a gateway to market entry, investor visibility, and scaling opportunities. Evaluation criteria - market traction, growth potential, and investment attractiveness set a clear focus on commercial viability.
The forum is further complemented by hackathons, applied competitions, and the Digital Qazaqstan Awards, creating a comprehensive environment where developers, entrepreneurs, investors, and public institutions converge. In this way, Digital Qazaqstan functions not only as a discussion platform but as an operational mechanism for accelerating technology adoption and generating new growth points.
The event is organized by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Shymkent, and the international innovation cluster Astana Hub. The forum is funded through partnerships and sponsorships, with all expenses covered by non-budgetary sources.
The launch of Digital Qazaqstan in this new format marks a transition from fragmented digitalization to systemic transformation. Technology is viewed not as a standalone sector, but as a cross-cutting driver of economic development. In this sense, Shymkent becomes more than just the host city - it serves as a symbolic starting point where the digital agenda moves beyond presentation halls into the real economy.