Davos, Switzerland — Aziz Abakirov, the CEO of the High Technology Park of the Kyrgyz Republic, represents a unique initiative aimed at positioning Kyrgyzstan as a global hub for technology and innovation. In an interview with TRENDS at Davos, Abakirov shares insights about the country’s vision, its human capital, and how technology is shaping a new future for Kyrgyzstan.
Can you sum up your experience at Davos 2025?
This year, Kyrgyz House made its debut in Davos. We are known for our dedicated software engineers and developers. This year has been amazing. We discovered new ideas, technologies, and opportunities for collaboration. Networking here has been incredibly valuable. We have talented people and tech companies worldwide are hiring from or coming to our country. To attract them, we offer tax exemptions, and we’re actively promoting Kyrgyzstan as a hub for technology and innovation.
Your message to attendees and potential partners appears to be, ‘Come invest in Kyrgyzstan, and we’ll provide tax exemptions’. What’s the infrastructure like for the ICT industry there?
First and foremost, we have an abundance of talented individuals and high-tech companies. We don’t have oil or gas, but we have human capital—young, talented people. Our main focus is to attract partners who value skilled talent and are looking to collaborate with us.
What kind of conversations have you had at Davos? Are there partnerships starting to form from your debut here?
Yes, we’re starting conversations and sharing ideas. For example, being a landlocked country without oil and gas, we realized over 30 years ago that the internet is our “ocean.” With technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, people no longer have to leave Kyrgyzstan to find better opportunities. Now, they can work with the world while living in Kyrgyzstan. This has been our vision—to break the cycle of poverty by leveraging technology. Our slogan reflects this: “Live in Kyrgyzstan, work with the world.” This is our model and that is what we are promoting at Davos.
If I’m an investor, what are two key reasons to invest in Kyrgyzstan?
First, talented people and affordable technology. Our human capital is highly skilled, and the cost of innovation here is comparatively. We offer an extremely favorable tax structure. Companies in our High Technology Park enjoy zero tax on certain activities.