Digital and Space Minister Bagdat Mussin proposed to create a joint Alliance of technoparks for the SCO member states. He made this announcement during a meeting of heads, representatives of ministries, and agencies from the SCO member states responsible for the development of information and communication technologies, within the framework of the Digital Almaty 2024 forum, the press service of the Ministry reports.
The joint Alliance aims to further develop the innovation ecosystem and provide comprehensive support for startup projects and IT companies, as explained by the minister.
"The main goal of the alliance is to facilitate the exchange of startup projects and technopark experiences, assist startups entering markets, establish a common venture fund, implement joint incubation and acceleration programs, offer free workspace with 24/7 access, provide complimentary housing for startups, scale solutions in SCO member countries' technoparks, organize B2B meetings, and offer grants and support measures,"
The Minister also highlighted another area of cooperation to enhance technological connectivity with the global world—the construction of fiber-optic communication lines.
The Ministry noted that leveraging the high transit potential of Kazakhstan will yield significant advantages for our countries in connecting to the internet and improve conditions for traffic across the Eurasian continent.
"This will enable the diversification of transit communication channels and increase our states' participation in the international data transit market. Therefore, it is proposed to consider the possibility of building fiber optic communication lines connecting our countries along the route Russia–Kazakhstan–Iran, with access to the Indian Ocean," the press service explained.
As part of the cooperation between the SCO countries and the increase in transit potential, along with the creation of a regional data hub, there is a proposal to combine efforts in developing joint databases for data storage.
"It is proposed to implement joint projects involving SCO countries, from the creation of satellites to the realization of digital platforms. The joint creation of satellite constellations based on the capacities of SCO countries also implies ensuring common access to space images for all member countries. This will increase the frequency of space imagery of the same territory, ensuring operational space monitoring of emergencies, natural resources, anthropogenic impact, and other aspects," the Ministry’s report summarized.
The next Meeting of Heads of Ministries and Agencies of SCO Member States responsible for the development of information and communication technologies is scheduled to be held in 2025 in China.
