HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s Cyberport is looking to deepen its ties with Central Asia as technology hubs in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan seek to connect their startup ecosystems with international markets, investors and partners. In two separate interviews with The Astana Times on Nov.
4 as part of Cyberport Venture and Capital Forum, Eric Chan, Cyberport’s chief public mission officer, and Shakhzod Narzullaev, head of product-market fit at IT Park Uzbekistan, outlined complementary approaches: Hong Kong offers an established technology and financial ecosystem, while Central Asian partners can help startups move across neighboring markets and build a wider regional presence.
Chan, Cyberport’s chief public mission officer, said AI should be democratized for everyone. Photo credit: The Astana Times Wholly owned by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, Cyberport is home to more than 2,400 companies, including 30 listed companies, 10 unicorns and more than 500 AI and data science startups.
Companies in its ecosystem have expanded into 36 markets worldwide. Chan said the regulatory environment should make room for experimentation, particularly when technology companies work with financial institutions. Rather than simply telling companies what they cannot do, regulators should create controlled environments in which businesses can test new solutions and develop them in cooperation with established financial institutions.
AI is now driving a larger share of the hub’s work. Chan said Cyberport initially supported companies using generative AI to develop and fine-tune large language models, but the focus is increasingly shifting toward redesigning business processes. “What I can see is that people are getting a lot more serious and the scale of those projects is a lot bigger,” he said, explaining that companies are moving beyond testing individual applications toward integrating AI into their operations.
“It’s not a matter of whether we should do it. It’s a must, it’s an imperative now,” Chan said. He also stressed that AI adoption cannot be separated from risk management, cybersecurity, governance and ethical considerations, adding that AI should be more accessible beyond the business community.
Through its “AI for All” initiative, it plans to reach students, parents, older people and disadvantaged communities. “AI should be democratized for everyone. It should not be concentrated for just a few who can afford it,” Chan said. Talent is another part of Hong Kong’s proposition.
Chan pointed to the city’s 12 universities and what he described as the “free flow of talent,” funding and data. “At the end of the day, we are grooming talent for the globe, not just for Hong Kong or any other countries,” he said, noting that international exposure can benefit both companies and specialists who eventually return to their home markets.
Cyberport’s Central Asia strategy: partnerships before offices