Khankendi, Azerbaijan, April 8. The Astana
International Financial Centre (AIFC) is set to publish a report on
the key directions for regional development, Renat Bekturov, the
AIFC’s managing director, said in an exclusive interview with
Trend.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 7th Political Forum of the ADA
University in Khankendi, Bekturov highlighted that the AIFC has its
academy and is actively developing its research focus.
“We have already released several reports, including one on the
real estate market and the potential of REIT (real estate
investment trust) development,” he said.
Bekturov also noted that, as part of its collaboration with
research centers like ADA University, the AIFC conducts joint
studies.
“We have signed a memorandum with ADA, and the first report,
featuring results from our joint research, will be published soon.
We have many common areas of focus for collaboration, such as the
development of the Middle Corridor, transport and logistics routes,
as well as energy and internet connectivity,” he added.
Bekturov emphasized that the Middle Corridor is a crucial topic
for Kazakhstan.
“As you know, transportation between our countries has
increased. We have already started transporting oil from Aktau to
Baku, with a volume of approximately 1.5 million barrels. We plan
to increase transportation volumes and diversify our trade
relations, as well as expand oil export routes,” he said.
In addition, he pointed out that the AIFC continues to grow
rapidly.
“In August of the previous year, we had registered 3,000
companies, and now we have 3,800. It took about four and a half
years to register the first 1,000 companies, but in the last six
months, we’ve registered 800 new companies,” he said.
Bekturov also mentioned that the asset management market is
growing actively, with new management companies emerging, and the
securities market continues to expand.
“We are also focusing on creative industries because we believe
that talent is just as valuable as any other asset and requires
investment,” he added.
The AIFC has already launched a private fund focused on creative
industries, particularly film production.
“Investments will be attracted, films will be made, and the
revenues will be shared among the investors,” Bekturov
clarified.
A special focus at the AIFC is being given to venture capital
and the IT sector.
“There are companies working on aerial photography for soil
condition analysis, helping farmers manage land. For example, they
can determine which crops grow on certain plots of land and plan
crop rotation for the next year. They are developing AI-based
modules that will assist with fertilizers using data from aerial
photography,” Bekturov explained.
Additionally, new projects requiring funding are emerging as
part of the venture capital development.
“There are many interesting startups developing with the support
of venture capital,” he noted.
Bekturov also emphasized that startups and innovations in the IT
sector are significant trends for both Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan.
“For us and Azerbaijan, the key direction is startups,
innovations, and, of course, artificial intelligence,” he
concluded.