Marat Yelibayev, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC Development Bank of Kazakhstan (a subsidiary of the Baiterek holding company, hereinafter — DBK, the Bank), spoke at the international forum Digital Bridge 2025.
In his report at the panel session “Artificial Intelligence and the Innovation Life Cycle: Synergy of Development Institutions in Kazakhstan,” Marat Yelibayev emphasized the role of DBK in the digital transformation of Kazakhstan's economy and presented the Bank's key achievements in this area.
The forum participants were presented with such successfully implemented projects as the DBK Product Space digital platform for optimizing credit processes, the DWH corporate data warehouse using AI technologies for project analysis, as well as the Bank's transition to a customer-oriented product approach.
Particular attention was paid to the Bank's contribution to the development of the national technological infrastructure, including support for landmark projects in the field of telecommunications and data centers that ensure the country's digitalization.
For example, the Bank financed data center projects and expanded Internet access, resulting in more than 1,200 rural settlements receiving broadband connectivity. In total, in 2024, DBK financed projects worth more than KZT 1.5 trillion, stimulating the introduction of new technologies and the development of non-resource industries.
“The Development Bank of Kazakhstan fully shares the national priorities in the field of digitalization. For the Bank, digital transformation is not only the modernization of internal processes, but also a contribution to the formation of a more competitive economy, open to new opportunities and challenges of the future,” said Marat Yelibayev.
It was also noted during the session that DBK is actively working on developing internal expertise and human capital in the field of data, including through events such as the “Data Challenge” datathon, which brought together more than 400 young professionals.
The forum culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Strategic Partnership between Development Institutions in the Fields of Science, Digitalization, and Industry.
The signatories included the DBK, the National Agency for Innovation Development QazInnovations, the Science Fund, the National Institute of Intellectual Property QazPatent, the Trade Development Center QazTrade, and Qazaqstan Investment Corporation.
The document aims to create a unified innovation cycle and an effective ecosystem to support projects in science, digitalization, and industry aimed at accelerating technological development and industrial breakthroughs in Kazakhstan.
Panel participants emphasized that the key factors in any country's competitiveness are the level of human capital and the volume of investment in technology. Kazakhstan has strong human resources and a wide network of development institutions, but it is necessary to eliminate duplication of functions and build synergy through a unified “innovation passport” for projects and regular coordination centers for innovation.
The Digital Bridge Forum became a platform for discussing partnerships with foreign development institutions and technology companies. The DBK expressed its readiness for joint initiatives in the areas of big data, green tech, and fintech, confirming the Bank's commitment to a digitalization strategy for the sustainable progress of Kazakhstan's economy.
