THE BILLION IN THE DISTANCE: HOW TECH EXPORTS CAN TRANSFORM CENTRAL ASIA - Information technology (IT) has become the cornerstone of modern economic development for countries all around the globe. In Central Asia, the IT sector is emerging as a potential engine for economic growth. The IT industry across Central Asia already produces hundreds of millions of dollars of value, and the region has the chance to make a concerted effort to develop the industry. While challenges differ, the IT sector has been growing throughout the region, and, despite difficulties, the foundations for further growth are present.

Considerable investments have already been made to spur IT sector growth Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Further financial and human capital investment in these countries and new initiatives in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan can help increase IT exports and improve the economic prospects of this growing region.

The StrategEast Center for a New Economy’s new in-depth report, “The billion in the distance: Central Asian IT exports and strategies for growing them” is the first to explore Central Asia’s potential for $1 billion in IT exports. What more can the countries of Central Asia do to unlock the potential of their tech communities and grow their IT sectors? What would that growth in the export-oriented IT sector mean for the rest of Central Asia’s economies? The Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and StategEast partnered to discuss Central Asia’s IT potential with a panel of experts.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 04/18/23