The Qarmet Creative Technologies Center hosted the “Industrial Cluster Development and Domestic Value” business forum, which has become an important event for the business community of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The purpose of the event is to strengthen interaction between large businesses and SMEs, stimulate the development of the industrial sector and create new opportunities for economic growth in the country.
The forum was attended by Iran Sharkhan, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, deputies of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, representatives of the business community, national funds and the Atameken Chamber of Entrepreneurs. The event was opened by the Akim of the Karaganda region, Yermaganbet Bolekpayev. The participants also visited the Qarmet Metallurgical Plant and got acquainted with the production process.
“Everyone knows that Qarmet is a vertically integrated enterprise. By the end of 2024, we see stable growth in this industry at 9.7%. This forum is an important moment for stimulating and developing small and medium-sized businesses around Qarmet as large enterprises. The Ministry is actively working on interaction between large companies and local suppliers, and we are confident that this is the key to sustainable industrial growth,” noted Iran Sharkhan, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
“This was a great opportunity to meet with people who are driving the economy of the region and the country. Karaganda region is the industrial heart of the country, we are a leader in terms of the volume of the manufacturing industry. Last year, more than 3 trillion tenge of products were produced in the region. Our region is a region of great opportunities, we are creating conditions for business growth and attracting investment,” said the regional governor.
Currently, more than 36 small and medium-sized businesses in the region interact with Qarmet. The forum allowed participants to discuss key issues related to strengthening the domestic market, increasing competitiveness through the development of production, and reducing dependence on external supplies. Qarmet CEO Vadim Basin spoke in detail about the development of a sustainable production chain, the integration of large and small businesses, the introduction of digital solutions, and the reduction of production costs, which will contribute to strengthening the regional economy.
“The development of metallurgy and related industries, strengthening the positions of Kazakhstani manufacturers in the global market, and creating internal value are key factors for the long-term sustainable development of our country. Despite the difficult external economic conditions, Qarmet increased its steel production by 15% in 2024, reaching 3.5 million tons. This growth brought Kazakhstan to 8th place in the world in terms of steel production. We set a goal of producing 5 million tons of steel per year by 2028. This benchmark is based on large-scale modernization of production, cost optimization, digitalization of processes, and the development of an industrial cluster around the enterprise,” said Vadim Basin.
An important aspect of the discussion was the focus on the problems faced by small and medium-sized businesses and the opportunities for their integration into large business structures to exchange experience and resources. Experts shared best practices and proposed solutions for optimizing production processes and interacting with government agencies.
Deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Kalikov noted that the direction taken by the company "Qarmet" at the present stage should have been implemented many years ago. However, in the past, according to him, unfortunately, there were different values.
"I am very glad that our Qarmet was included in the 17 breakthrough projects of Kazakhstan, which indicates the enormous importance of the enterprise in the country's industry. I want to assure you that there are deputies in the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan whose lives are connected with production. We are aware of current issues and will continue to protect the interests of workers and enterprises. We are working to ensure that legislative initiatives contribute to increasing the industrial potential of Kazakhstan," said Arman Kalikov.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mps/press/news/details/938972