From October 2 to 4, 2025, Almaty, Kazakhstan hosted the Digital Bridge 2025 international forum—the largest technology event in Central Eurasia. The forum is held annually under the initiative of the Autonomous cluster fund Astana Hub and supported by the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan (now the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development).
This year the event brought together leading experts, investors, entrepreneurs, government officials and representatives of the scientific community from over 30 countries. The central themes focused on the digital economy, artificial intelligence and the development of a global technological transformation strategy.
Softclub Group of Companies actively participated in the Digital Bridge forum and was invited to attend a session chaired by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence development.
Among other key participants were prominent international experts and policymakers such as:
- Omar Al Olama, UAE Minister of Artificial Intelligence
- Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of Sinnovation Ventures and 01.ai
- John Hopcroft, American computer science theorist and Turing Award laureate
- Ebtesam Al Mazrouei, Head of the UN initiative “AI for Good”
- Alexander Khanin, Founder of Polynome Group
- Richard Stirling, CEO of Oxford Insights
During the session, the establishment of a new government body — the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development — was officially announced with Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiev appointed as its head. The launch of the International Artificial Intelligence Council was also unveiled to coordinate efforts toward sustainable and ethical AI technology development.
These initiatives mark a new phase in Kazakhstan’s digital transformation and lay the foundation for advancing the region’s digital economy. The new governmental bodies face the ambitious goal of achieving full digital governance within three years, requiring consolidated efforts from both the state and private sectors.
Analysts report that global investments in AI have already surpassed $1 trillion USD with AI’s contribution to the global economy expected to reach $7 trillion USD by 2035. These figures underscore the significance of the forum’s initiatives and the imperative for responsible technology implementation.
Additionally, the forum highlighted Kazakhstan’s key priorities in education, including the creation of a research university to train qualified personnel in AI deployment, the development of national educational platforms, and the launch of innovative projects utilizing new supercomputing clusters such as the Alem.ai International center for artificial intelligence.
The opening of Alem.ai featured participants not only from legislative authorities but also from Telegram — the founder Pavel Durov. Telegram’s activities in Kazakhstan received high recognition for supporting the country’s digital agenda including its decision to join Astana Hub, open a local office and establish an AI laboratory within the Alem.ai center.
Softclub Group of Companies gained a unique opportunity to engage directly in discussions on digital development strategies for the Central Asian region, exchange expertise with leading international professionals and investors, and showcase its own products and innovative solutions through networking. Participation in Digital Bridge enabled SoftClub to expand partnerships and strengthen its position in the IT and AI sectors at the international level.
SoftClub’s presence at the forum provided valuable insights into Kazakhstan’s latest trends and government initiatives, enabling the company to adapt its technologies and products to the rapidly evolving regional demands.