HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 8 June 2026 – Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, joined the business delegation led by Chief Executive John Lee, on a visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from 1 to 5 June 2026 to strengthen innovation technology (IT), economic and trade cooperation between Hong Kong and the Central Asia. During the visit, Cyberport signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading technology organisations in both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, establishing strategic partnerships with the two countries' key innovation and technology platforms and promoting "hub-to-hub" collaboration to jointly capture opportunities in emerging markets.

As part of the programme, Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, met with key innovation and technology stakeholders in both countries. He visited the Astana Hub, a local technology and innovation park in Kazakhstan, including its Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Centre, to gain deeper insights into the latest developments in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure in the region. He also visited IT Park Uzbekistan to learn more about the country's rapidly growing digital economy ecosystem, and to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration in innovation and technology development, talent cultivation and market expansion. These engagements further strengthened Hong Kong's exchanges with Central Asia and supported the development of closer cross-regional collaboration in innovation and technology.

Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, said, "Central Asia is a strategically important market under the Belt and Road Initiative. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are actively advancing digital transformation, digital upgrading and technological innovation. From national artificial intelligence development blueprints to large-scale digital infrastructure projects, both countries have demonstrated strong growth momentum, a pressing demand for cutting-edge innovation and technology solutions, and immense market potential.

As Hong Kong's digital technology hub and AI accelerator, Cyberport is home to over 2,300 companies, including 18 listed companies with a combined market capitalisation of over HK$500 billion, as well as 9 unicorns with a total valuation exceeding HK$150 billion. Its innovation ecosystem spans areas such as AI, data science, fintech, digital assets and blockchain, cybersecurity, smart living, and digital entertainment. This aligns closely with Central Asia's demand for technological innovation, creating extensive opportunities for collaboration through complementary strengths. Cyberport has also established partnerships with Astana Hub and IT Park Uzbekistan to actively promote bilateral business expansion, deepen ties between Hong Kong and Central Asia in innovation and technology, finance and trade, and support enterprises from Hong Kong and the Mainland in jointly expanding into high-potential emerging markets.

Leveraging Hong Kong's unique role as a 'super-connector' and 'super value-adder', Cyberport will continue to support Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises in expanding into Belt and Road and international markets. At the same time, we will actively attract Central Asian companies to establish a presence in Hong Kong, injecting fresh momentum into the development of the digital economy and smart cities across the three regions, and further strengthening Hong Kong's position as an international innovation and technology centre and a leading AI hub."

Signs MoUs with the Countries' Largest Tech Parks Leveraging "Hub-to-Hub" Collaboration Advantages

Among them was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 1 June 2026 between Cyberport and Autonomous Cluster Fund "Astana Hub" (Astana Hub) of Kazakhstan, the largest international innovation cluster in Central Eurasia. Astana Hub is currently home to more than 1,800 IT companies, including over 450 international members, generating a collective income of US$3.9 billion. It has established a comprehensive innovation ecosystem that provides acceleration programmes, supports technological business incubation, offers educational initiatives, and hosts a wide range of industry events. This strategic partnership aims to promote technology transfer, support tech companies in areas such as AI, fintech, smart city solutions and Web 3, and facilitate overseas expansion and global market access for innovation and technology companies from both regions.

Another key highlight of the delegation was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 4 June 2026 between Cyberport and The Administration of Technology Park of Software and IT (IT Park) of Uzbekistan, a national IT ecosystem operator dedicated to advancing the country's digital industry development. IT Park Uzbekistan is a government-supported technology hub and one of the largest tech parks in Central Asia, with more than 2,800 member companies spanning IT services, software development, game development, creative industries and education. The MoU focuses on providing mutual soft-landing support, infrastructure access and regulatory incentives to facilitate technology companies' expansion between Hong Kong and Central Asian markets, while fostering deeper collaboration in innovation and technology development between the two regions.

As an ideal gateway for Central Asian technology companies seeking to expand into East and Southeast Asia, Cyberport leverages Hong Kong's international business environment and robust regulatory framework, together with its extensive network of enterprises, investors, technology companies, professional service providers and industry partners. This enables Cyberport to serve as a strategic base for Central Asian enterprises looking to access the Mainland, ASEAN, Asia-Pacific and global markets, accelerating their commercialisation journey and transforming innovative solutions into tangible business collaborations and investment opportunities.

At the same time, Cyberport companies can leverage the two leading technology parks in Central Asia as launchpads into emerging markets, bringing technology solutions from Hong Kong such as artificial intelligence, fintech and smart city technologies to support the region's digital economy and smart city development. These collaborations will further enrich the innovation and technology ecosystems of both regions. Cyberport has been actively supporting local enterprises in establishing and expanding their presence in Central Asian market. Cyberport's community is also highly international, with founders of one-third of its onsite companies coming from 27 countries and regions, while Cyberport companies have expanded into more than 35 global markets.

Cyberport received delegations from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to Cyberport for exchanges in tech innovation and entrepreneurship over the past year, laying foundations for cross-regional partnerships and collaborations. Cyberport will continue to align with the national 15th Five-Year Plan and support the HKSAR Government's development strategies by strengthening ties with emerging markets and innovation and technology hubs along the Belt and Road. As a vital bridge between Hong Kong and Central Asia, Cyberport facilitates cross-regional exchanges and collaboration, helping local enterprises capture global business opportunities while simultaneously attracting outstanding overseas technology talent and leading enterprises to establish a presence in Hong Kong. These efforts will inject diversified momentum into Hong Kong's economy and further reinforce the city's position as an international innovation and technology hub.