Europe looks to Kazakhstan to build digital bridge with Asia

Long seen as a reliable supplier of oil, uranium and critical raw materials, Kazakhstan is now positioning itself as a digital bridge between Europe and Asia.

As Brussels pursues greater digital sovereignty, resilient infrastructure and data diversification, Astana’s ambitions make it a strategic partner for another pillar of EU-Kazakhstan cooperation – one that shifts the conversation beyond pipelines and rail links.

Historically, EU-Kazakhstan relations have focused on energy, resource extraction and transport corridors.

Under the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) – which marks its tenth anniversary – and the successive 2025-26 roadmap, Brussels and Astana now explicitly include ‘green and digital transformation’ among their shared priorities.

This signals a broader recognition: Kazakhstan no longer seeks to be only a supplier of inputs, but a partner in shaping the digital circuits of the future. On the ground, the country is already making bold bets.

The Akashi Data Centre in Astana – set to become Central Asia’s first Tier IV facility – is under construction, projected to house 4,000 server racks and deliver 43 MW of power for hyperscale, cloud and AI workloads.

Tier IV certification implies less than 26 minutes of downtime annually, a critical benchmark for financial services, e-government systems and multinational clients.

The timing is significant: Kazakhstan’s existing server capacity is nearing saturation, creating a bottleneck for the growth of local digital firms. The new centre represents not only a technical upgrade, but also a strategic shift – from resource exporter to emerging digital hub.

Why it matters to Europe

Europe’s digital ambitions – under the Digital Decade, the forthcoming Digital Networks Act (DNA), and the drive for cloud sovereignty – are increasingly defined by resilience and diversification.

Kazakhstan presents a compelling case: geographically proximate, politically stable, and adept at multi-vector diplomacy. Its investment in digital infrastructure could make it a trusted data transit corridor connecting European, Central Asian and East Asian markets.

The EU’s Global Gateway initiative, particularly its focus on digital connectivity in Central Asia, aligns well with this vision. In October, Kazakhstan and the EU reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation on digital transformation, alongside energy and transport projects.

For Brussels, partnering with Astana on digital infrastructure and regulation offers more than market access: it allows the EU to help shape governance standards and trust mechanisms in a region that bridges multiple strategic spheres.

Collaboration opportunities

To turn ambition into action, the EU and Kazakhstan could deepen engagement along three complementary axes.

First, the EU could provide technical assistance and peer support to help Kazakhstan develop GDPR-compatible frameworks, cross-border data exchange protocols and cybersecurity regimes. Such alignment would lower investment risks for European cloud and AI firms, while fostering trust in cross-jurisdictional data flows.

Second, pilot projects – for example, a jointly governed mirror node hosting EU public data in Astana – could serve as proof of concept for secure, transparent data cooperation.

Third, through instruments like Global Gateway, the European Investment Bank or Team Europe, Brussels could co-finance secure data centres, fibre-optic links and neutral cloud exchange points in Kazakhstan.

Rather than exporting ready-made solutions, Europe would help build infrastructure that meets EU standards, positioning Astana as an extension of its trusted digital ecosystem.

To strengthen people-to-people links, the EU could also promote Kazakh start-ups and innovators through Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and innovation incubator networks.

Digital literacy programmes, exchange schemes and academic partnerships between EU and Kazakh universities could foster a shared talent pipeline and deepen mutual understanding.

In essence, the EU’s digital diplomacy with Kazakhstan could mirror earlier investments in science and research, but with far greater strategic leverage.

Policy takeaways

Brussels can find in Kazakhstan not just a mineral supplier, but a strategic frontier for digital cooperation.

By supporting high-availability data infrastructure, aligning regulatory frameworks, and investing in shared innovation ecosystems, the EU can help establish a trustworthy digital corridor across Eurasia.

In doing so, Europe gains not only technical capacity, but also normative influence – a stake in shaping the region’s data architecture.

If pipelines once defined Europe’s eastward tilt, the next strategic axis may well be optical fibre and data centres.

(BM)