As part of the AI & Digital Bridge 2026 international technology forum, the winners of the annual AI & Digital Bridge Awards 2026 were announced. The awards recognize the best projects, companies, and teams that have contributed to the development of artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and digital transformation.The award ceremony took place on October 3, on the final day of AI & Digital Bridge 2026. The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, who addressed the forum participants and presented awards to the winners of the AI & Digital Bridge Awards 2026.In his speech, Olzhas Bektenov highlighted the development of Kazakhstan’s digital infrastructure, the introduction of artificial intelligence into the real sector of the economy, and the significance of international technological cooperation. The Prime Minister also emphasized the role of AI & Digital Bridge as a platform bringing together the government, business, technology companies, investors, and the international expert community.An international perspective on the development of Kazakhstan’s technological ecosystem was presented by the ceremony participants: Sebastian Kurz, Co-Founder and President of Dream, former Federal Chancellor of Austria; Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.; Jamie Beaton, Founder of Crimson Education; and Alex Mashrabov, Co-Founder and CEO of Higgsfield AI.“This is my third visit to Kazakhstan over the past 12 months, and it is no coincidence. Kazakhstan is among the leaders in digitalization, IT, and artificial intelligence. The country is becoming a technological hub thanks to the development of AI infrastructure, supercomputers, its own language model, Data Center Valley, and the digitalization of public services. In the technological race between the US and China, it is especially important that there are countries like Kazakhstan that are at the forefront and can at the same time serve as a bridge between East and West,” said Sebastian Kurz, Co-Founder and President of Dream, former Federal Chancellor of Austria.Timur Turlov continued the discussion on the opportunities that AI development opens up for Kazakhstan and businesses. “A new window of opportunity is opening up for Kazakhstan right now—this time in artificial intelligence. Project by project, Kazakhstan is securing its place on the global AI map, no longer as an observer, but as a full-fledged participant in the AI race. The architecture of digital transformation has already been established. The task for business is to fill it with content and be a reliable partner to the state. We will walk the path of AI transformation together,” emphasized Timur Turlov, CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.Jamie Beaton spoke about Kazakhstan’s potential as a platform for developing a new generation of technology entrepreneurs.“The government of Kazakhstan plays a significant role in shaping a new generation of entrepreneurs, and Kazakhstan’s entrepreneurs are well-positioned to first scale up regionally, attract global venture capital, and then enter the global market. Kazakhstan’s strong international ties can serve as a powerful launchpad for technology companies. The country has strong energy resources, government support, and an educational system—essential conditions for development in the AI era,” said Jamie Beaton, Founder of Crimson Education.Against this backdrop, the AI & Digital Bridge Awards recognize specific projects and teams that are already developing digital solutions and bringing them to market.In 2026, awards were presented in seven categories: GovTech Project of the Year, EdTech Project of the Year, Startup of the Year, Corporate AI Transformation of the Year, International Breakthrough of the Year, VC of the Year, and Creative Industry Project of the Year.The selection process took place in two stages. First, a shortlist of five nominees in each category was compiled using artificial intelligence technologies. The finalists were then submitted to an online jury vote, which determined the winners.The winners of the AI & Digital Bridge Awards 2026 are:GovTech Project of the Year — eGov.GPT, National Information Technologies JSC (NIT JSC)EdTech Project of the Year — GoPrep, Aleem Labs LLPStartup of the Year — Rette (Defect AI);Corporate AI Transformation of the Year — Aventa, QazCode;International Breakthrough of the Year — Higgsfield AI, Higgsfield Ltd.;VC of the Year — MA7 Ventures;Creative Industry Project of the Year — ōzen, «OZEN XO» LLP.The award winners represent various sectors of the technology economy—from digital public services and education to healthcare, corporate AI, the venture capital market, and the creative industries. One example of a technology project created in Kazakhstan and expanding into global markets is Higgsfield AI, which received the International Breakthrough of the Year award.“Over these past three days, we have seen that Astana has become a hub attracting leading global technology leaders. At Higgsfield, we are building this bridge in the opposite direction—from Kazakhstan to the world. We have created a product that has entered the global generative media market. And our main resource is not models or products, but the people and talent from Kazakhstan. It is especially important to me that today we are bringing talent back to Kazakhstan to build Higgsfield together with us from Kazakhstan. Astana Hub has created a foundation that allows us to build an international technology leader from Kazakhstan to international standards. We became Kazakhstan’s first AI unicorn primarily thanks to the ecosystem and the conditions created here. And we believe this is just the first example—other unicorns will follow,” emphasized Alex Mashrabov, Co-Founder and CEO of Higgsfield AI.Thus, the AI & Digital Bridge Awards 2026 brought together winners from various segments of Kazakhstan’s technology ecosystem—GovTech, EdTech, HealthTech, generative AI, venture capital, and the creative industries.Concluding the ceremony, Olzhas Bektenov outlined the next priority: transitioning from individual technological solutions to their large-scale implementation across the economy.“The next stage is the large-scale rollout of technologies that have proven their effectiveness, as well as the introduction of new technologies and digital standards into our economy. To achieve this, the state, the scientific community, and international technology companies must join forces. Digital Bridge serves precisely as a platform that will strengthen ties between business partners. More than 60 new agreements were signed this year,” said Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov.AI & Digital Bridge 2026 took place in Astana from October 1 to 3, bringing together representatives of government, business, technology companies, startups, investors, and the international expert community.The organizers of AI & Digital Bridge 2026 are the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana Hub, and the Akimat of Astana.AI & Digital Bridge 2026 is made possible through the support of the forum’s partners and sponsors. All forum expenses are covered by sponsorship funds.Gold Partners: Freedom Bank, Kaspi Bank, Samruk-Kazyna JSC, and Kazakhtelecom JSC. Silver Partner: Halyk Bank. Business Partner: Beeline Kazakhstan. Bronze Partner: Yandex Qazaqstan. Telecom Partner: Freedom Telecom Operations LLP. Technology Partner: Transtelecom JSC. Official Airline Partner: Air Astana.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/maidd/press/news/details/1304384?lang=ru

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mod/press/news/details/1304343?lang=ru

Vienna, 29 September – 1 October 2026. A series of events was held in Vienna to mark the 30th Anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).On 29 September, a commemorative ceremony took place at Vienna City Hall, bringing together representatives of CTBT Signatory States, international organizations and the diplomatic community. Opening remarks were delivered by Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO); Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Austria’s Federal Minister for European and International Affairs; and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Participants underscored the historic significance of the Treaty in establishing an international norm against nuclear testing, as well as the vital role of the International Monitoring System in safeguarding global security and strengthening the international nuclear test monitoring and verification regime.The anniversary programme concluded on 1 October with a public screening of the CTBTO’s short film The Road to Zero. The film highlights the international community’s key achievements over the past three decades, tracing the history of global efforts to end nuclear testing through the testimonies of diplomats, scientists and technical experts. Particular attention is given to the progress made by the international community, from an era of more than 2,000 nuclear tests to a substantial reduction in testing following the opening of the CTBT for signature.The film was produced with the support of Kazakhstan, which has consistently advocated a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing for many years. As noted in the film by Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the country’s commitment to this goal is one of the key priorities of its international engagement.Kazakhstan continues to make a significant contribution to strengthening international nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regimes. The closure of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site stands as a historic example of this commitment. Today, Kazakhstan continues to uphold this legacy through its active participation in the work of the CTBTO and its efforts to advance international initiatives aimed at bringing the Treaty into force.The film is available at the following link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMN9QkWra7k Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-vienna/press/news/details/1304286?lang=ru

Bern, October 2 – A roundtable dedicated to the constitutional reform and the prospects for Kazakhstan’s socioeconomic development took place in Switzerland. The event brought together members of the Federal Assembly and representatives of the Confederation’s government bodies, expert community and academic circles.Addressing the event, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Switzerland Kairat Sarzhanov provided information on the adoption of the new Constitution, the establishment of the unicameral Quryltai and the results of the parliamentary elections, the work of the advisory body, the Halyk Kenesi, and the introduction of the instutite of Vice President.The diplomat noted that these steps aim to establish an optimal balance in relations between the branches of government and to redistribute powers effectively among them, helping to create favourable conditions for the development of the economy, human capital, education, science and innovation as part of the drive to build a Just Kazakhstan. The steady and dynamic development of the Kazakh–Swiss partnership across all areas was also highlighted.Particular attention was paid to Kazakhstan’s foreign policy priorities as a middle power seeking to strengthen ties across Eurasia, achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, strengthen the role of the United Nations, and promote peace and security in the region and globally.Participants showed keen interest in the information on Kazakhstan’s political transformation and economic development priorities. The ensuing discussion highlighted the strong momentum of political dialogue between the two countries, including active interparliamentary engagement, and the significant potential for deepening trade and investment cooperation. In 2025, bilateral trade amounted to 1.5 billion dollars, while cumulative Swiss direct investment in Kazakhstan’s economy exceeded 36 billion dollars, making Switzerland the country’s third-largest foreign investor. These views were echoed by Roland Büchel, a member of the lower house of the Federal Assembly, Filippo Lombardi, a representative of the municipality of Lugano and former President of the upper house of the Swiss Parliament; Jochen Janssen, an adviser at the Federal Department of Economic Affairs; and representatives of the federal diplomatic service and the board of the Swiss Foreign Policy Association. Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-bern/press/news/details/1304250?lang=ru

Geneva, 2 October 2026 – Kazakhstan will chair the First Global Forum of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intellectual Property, to be held in Geneva on 9-10 November 2026. The Forum will be chaired by Kazakhstan's Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and International Economic Organizations Kairat Torebayev.The new international platform will bring together ministers, heads of national authorities, representatives of technology companies, academia and the creative industries. Discussions will focus on the use of works and data in the development of AI, the protection of the interests of authors and inventors, and the distribution of economic value generated by new technologies.As a first step in preparations for the Forum, a briefing for ambassadors of WIPO Member States was held today, 2 October, at WIPO headquarters. The briefing was conducted jointly by Permanent Representative K. Torebayev and WIPO Assistant Director General Ken Natsume. Participants discussed the objectives of the Forum and its programme.Permanent Representative K. Torebayev emphasized that intellectual property is becoming one of the key instruments of economic development in the age of AI. Decisions in this field affect countries' competitiveness, the remuneration of content creators and the ability of national innovation systems to develop. They also concern the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity, giving these discussions strategic importance at both the political and diplomatic levels.During the discussion, ambassadors placed particular emphasis on expanding access to technology, strengthening national capacities and reducing the digital divide. Participants discussed the need to strike a balance between protecting human creativity and supporting technological development, while also creating opportunities for developing and smaller countries to participate actively in innovation processes.Permanent Representative K. Torebayev encouraged Member States to engage actively in preparations for the Forum, involve relevant ministries and government agencies, share practical experience and propose topics for discussion.For Kazakhstan, the Forum will provide an opportunity to present its achievements in the fields of AI and intellectual property to the international community.Kazakhstan's chairmanship of this new WIPO platform strengthens the country's participation in the global dialogue on the future of innovation and creativity and opens additional opportunities for international cooperation.Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-wto/press/news/details/1304242?lang=ru