Kazakhstan and Italy: Cooperation in AI and Data Centers

Kazakhstan has proposed to Italian businesses to participate in projects for the creation of data centers and AI infrastructure. The republic aims to transition from raw material supplies to joint investment and technological projects.

These directions were discussed during the visit of Kazakhstan's Minister of Trade and Integration, Arman Shakkaliev, to Italy: he held the 10th meeting of the Kazakhstan-Italy working group and negotiations with company leaders. Discussions with Blacktrace and Value Partners focused on forming a project package and attracting investors and engineering partners. Prospective areas include deep processing of critical minerals and rare earth metals, data centers and AI infrastructure, as well as the Middle Corridor – a route from Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea.

Astana is counting not only on capital but also on the transfer of engineering competencies and technologies, training of personnel, and an increase in the share of Kazakhstani goods and services. The next step is to select pilot projects and cooperation models. The parties also want to make more active use of the AIFC; the Kazakhstan-Italy Trade House, opened in Almaty in February 2026, will support investment projects. The proposal fits into the national AI strategy of Vice Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiev: the "Data Centers Valley" cluster with a capacity of up to 1 GW in the Ekibastuz area with a tariff of $0.025 per kWh and a crypto reserve expected to exceed $300 million. Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenshenov estimated the effect of AI implementation in the energy sector at approximately 23 billion tenge (about $51 million) per year. Vice Minister of AI and Digital Development Rostislav Konyashkin noted that the republic is building its own supercomputers and national AI models for digital sovereignty.