KISTI Launches the “AI SilkNet Center” as a Central Asia Hub for AI Collaboration

- Joint Korea–Kazakhstan data-driven platform goes into full operation with the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan

- Expected to expand data- and AI-enabled policymaking and industry collaboration across the region

□ The Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI, President Sik Lee) announced the launch of the AI SilkNet Center, a new hub for artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation in Central Asia, established jointly with the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NAS). The Center is significant as a shared platform that combines KISTI’s strengths in science and technology (S&T) information analysis with local research infrastructure in Kazakhstan.

* NAS is Kazakhstan’s leading national scientific institution. It develops S&T strategies with the country’s top scholars, provides expert advice to government decision-making, advances basic research and its linkage to applications, and supports Kazakhstan’s scientific independence and intellectual sovereignty.

□ On February 26 (local time), KISTI and NAS held an opening ceremony for the AI SilkNet Center in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The launch coincided with the 80th anniversary of NAS, adding symbolic significance to the event. The two organizations plan to expand cooperation beyond research exchange to broader collaboration spanning policy and industry.

□ The AI SilkNet Center is designed as a digital cooperation platform that connects Central Asia’s S&T outlook with practical AI applications. The Center will pursue nine strategic goals: ▲education, ▲analysis and research, ▲community building, ▲technical support, ▲sustainable development, ▲digital solution development, ▲support for scientific research, ▲publication of academic journals, and ▲financial self-reliance. Through these efforts, the Center aims to strengthen research capacity while also supporting data-driven policymaking and technology commercialization, positioning itself as a regional hub for the AI ecosystem.

□ KISTI’s accumulated capabilities, including S&T big data analytics, building patent- and publication-based knowledge networks, and experience leveraging high-performance computing (HPC), will serve as core assets for the Center’s operations. Kazakhstan, which is working to modernize its resource-based economic structure and transition toward advanced technology industries, has identified stronger capabilities in data- and AI-driven strategy development as a key priority. The AI SilkNet Center is expected to provide a practical platform that meets these needs.

□ The opening ceremony was attended by Sik Lee, President of KISTI; Gulzat Kobenova, Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Dmitriy Mun, Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry; Akhylbek Kurishbayev, President of NAS; Yelena Shevchenko, Vice President of NAS; and Tae Wook Ha, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Almaty. Participants emphasized that S&T cooperation is a strategic asset closely tied to national competitiveness, and shared the need to expand personnel exchange and joint research.

□ In his welcoming remarks, NAS President Akhylbek Kurishbayev stated that the AI SilkNet Center marks the ing point for a new cooperative model in S&T governance. He highlighted a focus on forecasting and data-driven analysis, strategic concentration of resources, and a performance-oriented management framework to mobilize capabilities in areas directly linked to national and regional development. He also noted that the Center can serve as a joint platform to shape future technology priorities between Korea and Kazakhstan and enhance innovation capacity across Central Asia.

□ Following the welcome address, presentations were delivered on: ▲the transition to evidence-based S&T governance, ▲IP-based predictive analytics, ▲Kazakhstan’s technology commercialization outcomes and priorities, ▲ approaches to accelerating regional joint research program development, and ▲opportunities to participate in the EU’s Horizon Europe program.

□ The AI SilkNet Center plans to pursue multi-layered cooperation initiatives, including identifying joint R&D projects, operating professional training programs, expanding international academic networks, and supporting technology commercialization. The Center will also explore pathways to scale into a regional AI innovation platform by strengthening linkages with neighboring Central Asian countries.

□ President Sik Lee said, “The AI SilkNet Center is a leading example of Korea and Kazakhstan building a knowledge-based cooperation framework powered by AI. KISTI will actively support this partnership so that it contributes to digital transformation and enhanced S&T competitiveness across Central Asia.”

Plaque Unveiling Ceremony

Opening Ceremony of the AI SilkNet Center

Distinguished Guests at the AI SilkNet Center Opening Ceremony

(From right: Sik Lee, President of KISTI, Akhylbek Kurishbayev, President of NAS, Yelena Shevchenko, Vice President of NAS)

Welcome Address by Sik Lee, President of KISTI

Sik Lee, President of KISTI, Interviewed by Kazakh Media