The IT market of Kazakhstan in 2026: the year of artificial intelligence and large-scale digitalization

2026 has been officially declared the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. This signifies a shift from isolated digital projects to the large-scale implementation of AI solutions across the economy, public administration, and the social sector. This course was outlined by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his Address to the People of Kazakhstan and has been given practical substance in the plans of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.

At the beginning of 2026, the President also gave an interview to the Turkistan newspaper, in which he detailed the new stage of the country's modernization, key directions for digitalization, and the role of the IT sector in economic development.

The key principle of the new policy is digitalization as a tool for increasing productivity, transparency, and competitiveness, with artificial intelligence serving as the foundational technology for state and economic development.

Key IT initiatives in 2026

As part of the Year of AI and Digitalization, Kazakhstan is focusing on the following areas:

— scaling the national artificial intelligence platform as a single access point for government agencies to data, computing power, and AI tools
 — industrial implementation of over 50 AI agents in public administration, the social sector, education, and citizen services
 — development of next-generation GovTech: eGov AI, multi-agent assistants, and AI call centers
 — transition from fragmented Smart Cities to a Smart Region model with a unified standard of 16 directions and 90 KPIs nationwide
 — commercial launch of Direct-to-Cell technology, enabling satellite communication directly with mobile devices, at the beginning of 2026.

Investments and startup support

In 2026, Kazakhstan's IT market receives an additional boost through a combination of state support and private investment. The main focus is on the large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence and the digitalization of government and business processes.

Key initiatives and plans for 2026:

 — Astana Hub will continue its expansion, including regional and international hubs, with the goal of bringing Kazakh startups to global markets; an increase in the number of high-value-added companies and projects is projected
— national supercomputers alem.cloud and the commercial cluster of Kazakhtelecom will be available to government agencies and companies, enabling the creation and scaling of AI solutions within the country
— digital transformation of the state through open digital reform maps: IT companies will be able to participate in Smart Region, GovTech, and eGov projects, creating services and AI agents for government services
— venture funding through Qazaqstan Venture Group, with a target volume of up to $1 billion, will support new startups in the fields of AI, big data, cloud solutions, and high-tech services
— crypto industry and digital finance: licensing of crypto exchanges is planned, along with the launch of pilot projects for CryptoCity, the stablecoin kztX, and the private crypto fund Alem Crypto Fund
— breakthrough technologies: Direct-to-Cell, delivery drones, autonomous vehicles, eVTOL aircraft, decentralized AI, and the international artificial intelligence center alem.ai.

These initiatives form the foundation for sustainable growth of the IT sector, human capital development, and Kazakhstan's integration into the global technological ecosystem.

Digitalization of public administration and open platforms

In 2026, Kazakhstan transitions to a model of a digital state, where technology is embedded into core management processes.

Key changes include:

— further development of eGov mobile and eGov business with the implementation of AI functions
— scaling the "Social Wallet": school meals, pharmaceuticals, and its expansion into the private sector
— use of digital transformation maps as mandatory plans for process changes in 72 sectors of the economy and social sphere
— a unified technological platform for all state information systems based on the security by design principle.

This opens up new opportunities for IT companies as technological partners of the state.

The Year of Artificial Intelligence and Digitalization should mark Kazakhstan's transition from building a foundation to forming a sustainable, technology-oriented development model capable of competing in the global digital economy.