Meeting with IT Academy in Karakol

Meeting Karakol tech community to get insights for research of IT sector (ENG)

2019-02-27


KG Labs Research Team had traveled 400km from Bishkek to Karakol to meet with local tech community, learn from their perspectives about opportunities and challenges of IT industry, hear their voices and make sure that contribution from all parts of the country had been included in the final research.

KG Labs conducted focus groups with relevant audiences, one-by-one interviews with key players as well as using observation research method.

As a result of the visit, Telegram group uniting Karakol tech community had been created and open via link https://t.me/devkarakol

The Goals of IT Sector Research are:

  1. Determine the Kyrgyz Republic IT sector’s potential for increased sales, jobs, and investment, inclusive of women and youth
  2. Identify IT sub-sectors with the greatest potential for increasing sales, jobs, and investment inclusive of males and females, for domestic and international markets
  3. Identify the most promising market segment and end markets (products/services and customers) for the Kyrgyz Republic’s IT sector
  4. Characterize the needs and challenges to grow high-potential sub-sectors and tap the most promising market opportunities, including needs and challenges specific to female and youth employment, and female- and youth-led firms
  5. Identify high-potential firms in high-potential sub-sectors, particularly SMEs, including those led by women and youth
  6. Characterize geographical clusters for high-potential IT sub-sectors and market segments
  7. Identify opportunities for U.S firms to provide product and services that foster the growth of the Kyrgyz IT sector and its firms
  8. Identify needs and opportunities for IT platforms that will increase opportunities for U.S. companies across sectors to do business with the Kyrgyz Republic, such as digital trade platforms

Research Project Duration:

January 1 – March 30, 2019

About USAID ECP Project:

The USAID Enterprise Competitiveness Project is working to strengthen Kyrgyz firms, especially those led by women and youth, to increase sales, jobs and investment. USAID Enterprise Competitiveness Project is targeting sectors and sub-sectors with the greatest potential for growth in these areas, providing enhanced support to accelerate the growth of women- and youth-led firms, and working to improve the enabling environment for small to medium enterprise (SME) growth. The Information Technology (IT) sector has been identified among the sectors with high growth potential. The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (GoKR) is interested in understanding the extent of the IT sector’s potential, including identification of most lucrative markets, and determining which sub-sectors and segments of the IT sector have the greatest potential for growth, and what needs and challenges high-potential sub-sectors face in attaining growth. For more information please follow the link https://www.usaid.gov/kyrgyz-republic/fact-sheets/usaid-enterprise-competitiveness-project