Alatau City Authority and the Global Digital Economy Cities Alliance (DEC40) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation providing for the joint delivery of Smart City pilot projects, the development of technology partnerships and the engagement of international companies in rolling out modern urban solutions in Alatau City.
The signing took place in Astana ahead of the international AI & Digital Bridge 2026 forum, as part of the Smart City Forum organised by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan together with the DEC40 alliance.
The memorandum lays the groundwork for jointly developing and launching Smart City pilot solutions, exchanging international expertise, building technology partnerships and forming an ecosystem of potential business partners and investors for Alatau City. The parties intend to pay particular attention to the practical application of advanced technologies aimed at improving the efficiency of urban infrastructure and the quality of the urban environment.
The forum also featured meetings with leading Chinese technology companies specialising in Smart City solutions, among them SINOMACH Digital Technology, Sinosoft, Beijing Guang'an Xuanguang Technology, Beijing Unihannto Technology, UCloud and Beijing Fengrun Shengjing Technology. The talks with Kazakhstani regions and IT companies outlined a number of joint projects and initiatives.
“We plan to use international experience and modern technologies not as standalone solutions, but as elements of a single digital architecture for Alatau City. Cooperation with DEC40 will allow us to test advanced Smart City technologies in a pilot format and to scale the most effective solutions as the city develops further,” said Bayan Konyrbayev, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer of the Alatau City Authority special management organisation.
Bakhtiyar Mukhametkaliyev, Vice Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, stressed that cooperation with international technology partners should be oriented towards practical results: finding joint solutions, testing them in pilot projects and subsequently deploying the most effective technologies.
A separate strand of cooperation will be the regular exchange of expertise. As part of the Smart City Forum, a training session on Beijing's approach to developing smart cities has already been held for representatives of local executive bodies. The parties agreed to continue such events in online and offline formats, including in the regions of Kazakhstan.
Cooperation with DEC40 is in line with Alatau City's approach to building a modern digital urban environment and deploying technological solutions at the stage of creating the new city's basic infrastructure.
For reference: the Global Digital Economy Cities Alliance (DEC40) was established in July 2025 on the initiative of Beijing together with around 40 partner cities from Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Latin America. Registered in Geneva, the alliance brings together cities, international organisations, companies, and research and educational institutions to develop the digital economy and deploy innovative technologies and Smart City solutions. DEC40 cooperates with a number of international organisations, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).