High Technology Park of the Kyrgyz Republic – Study and Recommendations

The High Technology Park (HTP) of the Kyrgyz Republic was created in 2011 to support the domestic software development industry, grow new and high end Information Technologies (IT), and provide interactive services through IT. From its inception, the HTP residents’ revenues grew from USD 3 million in 2013 to USD 15 million in 2020. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, during which many economic industries faltered, the HTP revenues in the Kyrgyz Republic increased by 20%. More importantly, in the last three years, the share of exports from the aggregate revenues were consistently above 85%. IT exports covered more than 30 countries, including the USA, Kazakhstan, Russia, United Kingdom, and Japan.

Drawing from the Kyrgyz Republic’s successful experience in building a special legal framework and incentivising mechanisms, this paper aims to describe how to establish an HTP legal framework and institutional setup that incentivises the growth of IT industries. It discusses associated risks and the ways of managing them, describes high-impact interventions that can bolster IT industries, and proposes possible action plans to set-up a vibrant HTP. The paper is intended to be an actionable policy guide for relevant decision makers, development agencies, and the private sector in new contexts.

Related information can be found in the “High Technology Park of the Kyrgyz Republic – A Case Study on the Institutional Setup and Results” presentation, also available on The Learning Hub.