Ekibastuz named pilot site for Data Center Valley project
Rostislav Konyashkin, First Deputy Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, reported on the progress of implementing the Data Center Valley project at a Government's meeting, Qazinform News Agency reports.
He noted that the Head of State described the project as a sound initiative at the 5th session of the Ulttyq Qurultay (National Assembly).
“The city of Ekibastuz in Pavlodar region has been selected as the pilot location for the Data Center Valley project. The akimat of Pavlodar region is reserving a land plot totaling 200 hectares. The project requires the comprehensive development of essential infrastructure, including water supply, access roads, telecommunications networks, and power supply,” Rostislav Konyashkin said.
It was emphasized that the project lays the foundation for establishing an international hub for data centers and cloud-based AI infrastructure in Kazakhstan, with the potential to attract leading hyperscaler companies, create highly paid skilled jobs, and enable the expansion of exports in computing and digital services.
The project also provides for flexible participation models that take into account different investment strategies and varying levels of investor readiness. This approach is designed to attract investors, technology companies, and cloud service providers.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev has stated that digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) are creating a fundamentally new reality, and Kazakhstan is actively integrating these technologies across all areas of life during the Ulttyq Qurultay in Kyzylorda.