Central Asia’s first AI Innovation Hub backed by NVIDIA presented in Germany
Central Asia’s first AI Innovation Hub being established in Dushanbe on the grounds of the Area AI platform with support from NVIDIA, was presented at the Embassy of Tajikistan in Germany during the NVIDIA GTC Berlin 2026 conference, Qazinform News Agency cites Khovar.
The event brought together Shilpa Kolhatkar, Director of NVIDIA’s global AI Nations program, as well as representatives of international technology companies, including Armada, VEON, DataVolt, Perplexity, and Supermicro.
In his remarks, Tajikistan’s Ambassador to Germany Imomuddin Sattorov highlighted artificial intelligence as one of the priority areas of the country's state policy. He noted that the launch of the center with NVIDIA’s support would contribute to implementing the objectives of the UN General Assembly resolution on the role of artificial intelligence in the sustainable development of Central Asia, adopted in July 2025 at the initiative of President Emomali Rahmon.
Azizjon Azimi, Chairman of the AI Council under Tajikistan’s Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, outlined plans for the center’s development and cooperation with NVIDIA in training AI specialists and introducing advanced Physical AI technologies in the country’s industrial sector.
The new hub will serve as a collaborative platform for universities, developers, startups, and industrial enterprises, supporting education, research, and practical AI applications. Development and management of the center will be led by zehnlab.ai, a founding member of the Area AI consortium, while institutional support will be provided by the AI Council under the ministry.
The initiative also includes the creation of a Physical AI Lab in Khujand, which will focus on researching and testing industrial AI applications, including in the mining sector.
Tajikistan became the first country in Central Asia to adopt a National Artificial Intelligence Development Strategy in 2022. The establishment of the new center marks the next stage in the development of the Area AI platform and is aimed at expanding opportunities for AI education, research, and practical implementation in Tajikistan and across the region.
To note, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang is visiting Astana for the first time. An exclusive meeting featuring Huang and Kazakh Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Minister Zhaslan Madiyev was held at the Alem.ai International Artificial Intelligence Center.