Astana Climbs to 46th in Global Smart Centres Index, Retains Top-Three Position in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
Astana has maintained its standing among the top three smart centres in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, ranking second and ahead of cities such as Budapest, Prague, Warsaw, Moscow and Istanbul. In the 11th edition of the Smart Centres Index (SCI 11), Astana rose six places to 46th in the global rankings. The SCI measures the capacity of commercial and financial hubs worldwide to foster, apply and scale innovation across sectors including science, energy, artificial intelligence, fintech and more. Astana first featured in the index in November 2022, debuting in 64th position.
According to the index, leading centres are those where innovation is supported by a high-performing university sector across all STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), well-considered regulation, and a mature financial and commercial infrastructure.
Renat Bekturov, Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), commented:
«From the outset, AIFC was established as a platform that brings together flexible regulation, financial infrastructure and fintech solutions. Today, the Centre continues to advance regulatory frameworks and principles that support innovation and digital transformation. This includes initiatives involving cryptocurrency exchanges, digital asset trading and crowdfunding. In 2024, AIFC also became a hub for supporting businesses in the creative industries, developing the venture capital ecosystem, and promoting data protection and the use of artificial intelligence. Within our regulatory sandbox, the FinTech Lab, companies are testing their products, while the Tech Hub is evolving into a centre of innovation. The AIFC Academy delivers training for finance and economics professionals tailored to market demand. The Tabys App is expanding its product offering, making investment more accessible to a wider audience.»
Today, the AIFC ecosystem comprises over 3,900 participants from more than 85 countries. A total of 738 companies operate in the information and communications technology sector. AIFC also hosts several crowdfunding and cryptocurrency exchange platforms. There are 22 registered digital asset service providers, including two crypto exchanges that now operate under full regulatory supervision.
The SCI draws on 135 instrumental factors, sourced from indicators published by the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations. These are combined with 1,772 assessments submitted by 296 respondents through the SCI’s online survey.
In total, SCI 11 analysed 131 commercial and financial centres. Of these, 76 received a sufficient number of expert evaluations to be included in the final rankings.
Renat Bekturov, Governor of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), commented:
«From the outset, AIFC was established as a platform that brings together flexible regulation, financial infrastructure and fintech solutions. Today, the Centre continues to advance regulatory frameworks and principles that support innovation and digital transformation. This includes initiatives involving cryptocurrency exchanges, digital asset trading and crowdfunding. In 2024, AIFC also became a hub for supporting businesses in the creative industries, developing the venture capital ecosystem, and promoting data protection and the use of artificial intelligence. Within our regulatory sandbox, the FinTech Lab, companies are testing their products, while the Tech Hub is evolving into a centre of innovation. The AIFC Academy delivers training for finance and economics professionals tailored to market demand. The Tabys App is expanding its product offering, making investment more accessible to a wider audience.»
Today, the AIFC ecosystem comprises over 3,900 participants from more than 85 countries. A total of 738 companies operate in the information and communications technology sector. AIFC also hosts several crowdfunding and cryptocurrency exchange platforms. There are 22 registered digital asset service providers, including two crypto exchanges that now operate under full regulatory supervision.
The SCI draws on 135 instrumental factors, sourced from indicators published by the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations. These are combined with 1,772 assessments submitted by 296 respondents through the SCI’s online survey.
In total, SCI 11 analysed 131 commercial and financial centres. Of these, 76 received a sufficient number of expert evaluations to be included in the final rankings.