Cultivating sustainable smart city futures: the power of creative entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan

Purpose of the research: To examine the pivotal role the smart cities play in stimulating creative entrepreneurship alongside with following the goals of sustainable development in Kazakhstan. Marking out the necessary policy to create a favorable ecosystem and architecture for creative businesses within these urban environments is an essential part of this work.

Methodology: In-depth interviews with creative entrepreneurs from various regions of Kazakhstan served as a foundation for a qualitative research method to be applied in this work. The interview results disclose the constrains and potentials encountered by these businesses and the opportunities for smart city initiatives to become a vital element making these businesses prosper in Kazakhstan.

Originality: This work covers a momentous knowledge discrepancy through reviewing the overlap of creative entrepreneurship and smart cities in the Central Asian setting. The findings provide vision for policymakers, educators, and business leaders who strive to promote economic growth in the region.

Findings: The research accentuates that, nevertheless, programs like Creative Spark and other smart city initiatives have increased Kazakhstan's creative economy, it still can benefit from government support, particularly in the area of infrastructure. High-speed internet, efficient workspaces and hoc hardware in smart cities, legislative impediments and bureaucracy, as well as, the need for up-to-date education to outfit creative individuals with digital skills are disclosed as the principal constraints of the industry development according to the in-depth interviews.

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