TUMO and Astana Hub: One good turn deserves another

ArmInfo.If Armenia has something to showcase to the world today, something that sets it apart, helps and  attracts cooperation, it's definitely the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, which has successfully joined the global technology race and is expanding into more countries and regions. One of TUMO's  newest locations is in Kazakhstan, a country undergoing fundamental and profound changes in both the economy and social life.

The pragmatism of Kazakhstan-a key, some might say pivotal, country  in the greater Central Asian region today-has elevated it to a key  position not only in geopolitical and logistical terms, but also in  the development of modern information technology and artificial  intelligence, which would essentially be impossible without the  social and human capital  that has been cultivated and strengthened  over many years. Therefore, the emergence of TUMO in this area,  within the impressive modernist architecture of the region's biggest  digital technopark, Astana Hub, is not the result of some random  agreements, but far- reaching and well-thought-out steps by the  political leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In anticipation of the opening of the Armenian center, thanks to the  thoughtful and rational approach of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  of Kazakhstan and the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in  Armenia, the author of these lines had the opportunity to visit the  complex along with a group of journalists from various countries,  from Austria to South Korea. The  architectural solutions of the  complex, blending the best practices of modernism with elements of  futurism, are truly impressive. The building was constructed for  Astana EXPO 2017, and today it serves as the workspace for the  digital technopark. The Armenian TUMO franchise project is actively  involved in developing a large part of this workplace. 

The choice of TUMO's location here, in the Astana Hub technpark,  aligns perfectly with the country's technology policy, and this is no  coincidence. In September, the country transformed its  Ministry of  Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry into the  Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. These  priorities are grounded in a deep understanding of global trends,  which can only be kept pace with significant transformations in human  capital development. TUMO will be one of the structures responsible  for "nurturing" specialists, as they say, right from the cradle.

Daniyar Zhumagulov, who is responsible for international relations  and serves as the head of the Astana Hub investment office,  emphasized the significance of the TUMO creative center's opening in  Astana as an essential element of the unified ecosystem established  in the area. He talked about the ecosystem's operating principles, as  a single organism  supporting all its components and processes.

After all, the days when technology parks were just constructed as  buildings with low utility bills and rent are long gone. For any  country this type of park is already outdated and, as practice has  shown, unsustainable for achieving significant breakthroughs in  technology sectors. Therefore, many companies from developing  countries, that are on the rise and nearing "unicorn" status are  leaving technology parks and "relocating" to countries with  well-established IT ecosystems. There, the government, together with  "business angels", provides comprehensive, systemic support,  including venture capital, to help their "clients" enter the global  IT market. This is a complex set of educational, tax, investment,  consulting, stock exchange, and other tools that create a favorable  environment for fledgling ideas to thrive and generate high returns  on investment. Although the situation in the global IT market today  is not easy due to the impending revolution, where algorithms and  neural networks, like the "internal combustion engine" once did, are  throwing "unnecessary" workers out onto the street, nevertheless,  creative solutions and the people behind them are still finding their  "place in the sun."

Kazakhstan has long understood this, not only because it created an  agency with an unusual name, but also because, unlike "old  solutions," "new" ones can do without "Silicon Valleys," albeit in  similar conditions.  This is the purpose of  the Tomorrow School,  Kazakhstan's first peer-to-peer school of artificial intelligence. It  offers a unique opportunity to receive free training in AI, requiring  no prior programming skills. Students advance through a knowledge  map, where each task unlocks the next. This ensures consistent  development of skills-from the basics to complex projects, creating a  continuous learning process. The Tech Orda program, aimed at  developing human capital in the IT sector, is also operating in  Astana. The program provides funding for people aged 18 to 45  to  receive  free education, specifically aimed at training IT  specialists.

Thus, in an effort to address these complex issues rationally,  Kazakhstan has adopted the best global ecosystem practices. They  believe it's important to create conditions so that people in the  "steppes of Kazakhstan" feel as comfortable as in the "valleys of  California." This involves implementing a zero-tax start-up tax  regime, a highly relaxed immigration policy for specialists,  attracting venture capital, assisting in organizing the export of  information products, and utilizing many other tools within the  so-called IT ecosystem, including incubators supporting early-stage  startups and accelerators offering growth acceleration programs for  startups. Google supports the Astana Hub in  terms of "acceleration".  Moreover, the accelerator is not only just for  Kazakhstani  specialists; young companies from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan,  Mongolia, and Georgia are also involved. According to Daniyar  Zhumagulov, it's wrong to focus only on Kazakhstan; it's far more  reasonable to enter global markets jointly, as a unified regional  "front." Armenian companies aren't among them yet, but everything  flows.

By the way, in Kazakhstan, ttvery few people or possibly none at all,  are aware of Yerevan's Engineering City, which is also aiming to  establish itself as a regional technology hub and a supplier of  high-tech products to the global market. The collaboration between  the two could be mutually beneficial.  While Yerevan's Engineering  City is preparing to reach its full capacity, the statistics of  Astana Hub, which has branches in all major cities of the country,  are impressive. In 2018, the Astana technopark had only 185  participants, with 5 of them being foreign companies. By 2024, that  number had increased to 1,716, with 454 being foreign entities.  Revenues during this period surged from $35 million to $1.3 billion,  and export revenue from services rose from $34 million to $481  million. Additionally, Astana Hub retains 1% of its revenue  "rightfully" and has not received external budget support for two  years.

The IT industry is not he only sector driving Kazakhstan's economy  towards a perception beyond being an oil and gas exporter. Other high  added value sectors are also contributing to positioning the country  in global  intellectual property markets.