According to the updated ninth edition of the Smart Centres Index (SCI 9), published by independent experts at Z/Yen, the Astana city took 3rd place in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region. In the overall ranking, Astana was 49th out of 79 positions.
The Smart Centres Index examines the ability of global business and financial centres to create, develop, and deploy technology and innovation, including advancements in science, energy systems, machine learning and other areas. Astana was first included in this index in November 2022, debuting at 64th place.
According to the index, leading SCI centres are based in regions that combine an innovative culture with a high-performing university sector in all STEM subjects, supported by well-developed regulatory systems, commercial and financial services.
"Commercial and financial centres around the world continue to drive innovation in technology and science. As the index indicates, it is crucial today to focus on the development of artificial intelligence, digital and computer technologies, energy and ecology. Innovation is an important feature of the AIFC, both in its approach to developing the centre and in advancing the financial services sector in Kazakhstan. The AIFC will continue to implement advanced approaches, expanding the range of products and services previously unavailable in the country’s financial market, such as the ecosystem of digital assets, crowdfunding platforms, sustainable development tools, and more," said Renat Bekturov, Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre.
The SCI index is compiled using 135 instrumental factors sourced from indicators provided by the World Bank, the Organisation for economic cooperation and development, the United Nations, and other international organisations and global think tanks. These factors were combined with 1 661 ratings from 246 respondents to the SCI online questionnaire.
In total, 131 commercial and financial centres were studied within the framework of SCI 9. Of these, 79 centres were included in the updated edition, as they received a sufficient number of ratings from respondents to participate in the ranking.
Reference:
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is an independent jurisdiction with a favourable legal and regulatory environment and a developed infrastructure for starting and doing business, attracting investment, creating jobs and developing Kazakhstan's economy. www.aifc.kz
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