ASTANA—IT Park Uzbekistan and Astana Hub, the top technology parks in Central Asia, have teamed up under a new unified brand, Central Asian Innovation Hubs. The goal is to elevate the region’s startup ecosystem and strengthen its global innovation footprint.

During ICT Week Uzbekistan 2024, Farhkod Ibragimov, IT Park Uzbekistan CEO, and Magzhan Madiyev, Astana Hub CEO, signed a memorandum of cooperation, reported Astana Hub press service on Sept. 18.

“The goal of this partnership is to establish a regional identity, share expertise in developing startup ecosystems and venture capital funds, and implement several joint initiatives to promote promising Central Asian projects on the international stage,” reads the statement.

By the end of this year, the tech parks of both countries will represent the unified brand at several major international events, including InMerge in Baku, TechCrunch in San Francisco, and WebSummit in Lisbon. At InMerge, four regional startups will be showcased to international investors and funds, while TechCrunch will feature 20 startups, and WebSummit will present 16.

The partnership aims to ensure the participation of regional startup projects in  the Hero Training Program of Draper University, Stanford HealthTech Accelerator, and Alchemist Accelerator.

“This partnership will give a boost and a new direction to the development of startup ecosystems in both countries and the region as a whole, enhancing Central Asia’s investment appeal. The establishment of Central Asia Innovation Hubs will increase the global visibility of regional startups and create new opportunities for founders to present their innovations to industry leaders worldwide,” reads the statement.