Royal Philips may open an R&D center in Astana and join the development of MedTech

In Kazakhstan, the integration of artificial intelligence into healthcare was discussed in collaboration with Royal Philips. The meeting took place with the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Health.

During the negotiations, the parties reviewed the current status and prospects for implementing the project to create a national archive of medical images — Vendor-Neutral Archive (VNA), as well as discussed expanding cooperation in the field of AI in medicine.

The VNA project aims to consolidate medical images — CT, MRI, ultrasound — from all healthcare organizations across the country into a single system. This will ensure reliable data storage, improve diagnostic accuracy, and create a foundation for training domestic AI solutions.

The company confirmed its readiness to provide its technologies and consider various financing models, including participation through Philips Capital and attracting international funds.

Zhaslan Madiev, Deputy Prime Minister

Additionally, during the meeting, the possibility of opening a Philips laboratory or R&D center based on the International AI Center in Astana was discussed. It is expected that the center will become a hub combining educational programs, startup acceleration, and research laboratories of major technology companies.

The parties agreed to continue working on the project and to move toward formalizing the reached agreements in the near future. Implementation of the initiative will be an important step in the digitalization of the social sector.

Source: Gov.kz