Digital innovations as a driver of inclusive youth entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan

Abstract

This paper of digital innovation and its contribution to inclusive young entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan are examined in this essay. It examines how government regulations, digitization trends, and the changing startup landscape impact young people's entrepreneurial endeavors. Youth entrepreneurship is a very serious structural problem, even with all the state's support for young entrepreneurs in the form of state entities (Digital Kazakhstan, Astana Hub, technoparks, incubators, accelerators). The latest Tax Code amendments, which raised VAT from 20% to 16%, the lack of funding and internet infrastructure, and regional variations have limited the development of inclusive youth-led startups. The research focuses on the identification of opportunities and barriers as well as an analysis of the current state of the Kazakh Startup ecosystem, Kazakh labour market, and institutional mechanisms of support. The role of higher education institutions (Astana Hub, KBTU, IITU, Nazarbayev University) and the imbalance in resources distribution between urban areas (Astana, Almaty) and rural/regional areas are of particular attention. To guarantee higher adolescent engagement from a variety of socioeconomic and geographic groups, the study suggests creating more targeted regulations as well as better possibilities for digital literacy, funding, mentoring, and infrastructure. The findings demonstrate that while digital technologies open up new avenues for economic innovation and diversification, structural disparities in geography, gender, and socioeconomic position need to be addressed if young entrepreneurship is to become truly inclusive. The article offers doable suggestions for enhancing the entrepreneurial climate and building capacity for inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship.