Kazakhstan Innovation Summit Heralds New Era of Knowledge-economy Growth and Diversification

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

'How to build an innovation ecosystem inside Kazakhstan' 

The Economist Events' Innovation Summit Astana took place on Thursday 15^th June, 2017. It convened an audience of more than 120 national and international senior-level attendees from sectors including telecommunications, finance, manufacturing, education, construction, energy and agribusiness to discuss the experiences of innovators and leading multinationals in a bid to help Kazakhstan develop innovation practices and learn from those who have achieved success through innovation.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/524246/Bakytzhan_Sagintayev_Kazakhstan_PM.jpg )

The Summit, centred on the themes of stimulating innovation, investment and cultural workplace transformation as Kazakhstan redefines international trade relations and commitments with China, Russia and Europe.

Bakytzhan Sagintayev, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan attending the event, commented: "The Summit focused international attention onto Kazakhstan's economic diversification and digital potential while acknowledging the key role the country can play increasingly today as an important trade link between East and West."

With global economies increasingly innovating and diversifying, as traditional industries such as agriculture, energy, mining, manufacturing and transport are becoming disrupted by technological advancements.

Christopher Reberger, Director Country Digital Acceleration, Cisco Systems asserted: "Innovation requires exceptional skills and perseverance," which was met with further encouraging words from the Prime Minister as he assured panellists and delegates on the opportunities that his government saw for state-owned enterprises and the challenges associated with modernising them.

This sentiment was echoed by Lilia Burunciuc, Regional Director for Central Asia at the World Bank, who added: "Kazakhstan has a lot of great minds and a great culture of innovation and R&D, so use it and continue investing in human capital, as it is one of the country's competitive advantages."

As Kazakhstan finds itself at economic crossroads, the Summit concluded that although the country has a lot to learn from the world, it is committed to transferring insight into opportunity as rapidly as possible.

The full programme can be read online here. You can see the conversation on Twitter at #EconKTInnov and @EconomistEvents. For more information on Economist Events' upcoming events, please visit http://www.economistevents.com

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Economic Research Institute 

The leading think-tank on economic policy in Kazakhstan. The institute actively participates in the development of major government programs, implements strategic objectives of macro-economic and spatial development of the country over the medium and long term, evaluates the economic situation in the country and the world. ERI is proud for building the communication between public decision makers and private sectors of the economy.