Kazakhstan has secured $10 billion in strategic cooperation agreements with Firebird Inc. to build a national next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure. The deal, signed in Astana, aims to create advanced computing capacity, cloud technologies, and a digital ecosystem that positions the country as a technology hub in Central Eurasia.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, NVIDIA Vice President Rev Lebaredian, and Firebird Co-Founders Razmig Hovaghimian and Alexander Yesayan attended the signing. The agreements establish a foundation for collaboration on AI infrastructure, research initiatives, and digital economy development. They follow a high-level meeting earlier this year between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, NVIDIA Vice President Nico Caprez, and Firebird's leadership.
Building a national AI backbone
Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, said, "Artificial intelligence is becoming the new foundational infrastructure of the global economy. To develop our own AI solutions, individual digital products are not enough: a holistic ecosystem is needed, encompassing energy, modern data centers, computing power, data, and access to advanced technologies." He added that Kazakhstan's goal is to transform its infrastructural advantages into long-term economic growth and to strengthen its position as a key digital hub in Eurasia.
Razmig Hovaghimian emphasized the speed and security of Firebird's deployment model. "Countries that invest today in advanced AI computing capacity, talent development, and innovation ecosystems will shape the economic opportunities of tomorrow," he said. "Firebird combines proven deployment experience with cutting edge U.S. technology stack, deep partnerships across the global AI ecosystem, and the ability to execute large-scale AI infrastructure projects securely, with exceptional speed."
Firebird's track record and expansion
Firebird is currently completing the first phase of its flagship AI Factory in Armenia, set to become operational in July 2026. The project moved from initial construction to deployment readiness in just over six months. Under an approved three-phase expansion strategy, the platform is designed to scale beyond 100,000 NVIDIA Blackwell and Vera Rubin GPUs by the end of 2027, creating one of the world's largest AI computing platforms.
The company's model relies on collaboration between governments, technology companies, financial institutions, and research communities. Instead of building standalone data centers, Firebird creates national AI capacity that allows countries to participate in the AI economy at global scale.
Why this matters for government professionals
This agreement shows how governments are moving beyond pilot programs to fund large-scale, physical AI infrastructure as a matter of national strategy. For civil servants and policy makers, understanding the components of such deals - energy, compute, data, and talent coordination - is becoming essential. Structured learning paths like AI Learning Path for Policy Makers or AI for Government Courses can help professionals evaluate comparable infrastructure investments, negotiate public-private partnerships, and design governance frameworks for state-owned AI assets.
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