As part of the XII Kazakhstan Machinery Industry Forum held in Astana, a panel session took place under the theme “Kazakhstan’s Investment Potential. The Role of International Partners in the Development of Mechanical Engineering.” The session featured a keynote address by Gabidulla Ospankulov, Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and was moderated by Azamat Kozhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSC “NC KAZAKH INVEST.”

In his speech, Gabidulla Ospankulov emphasized that mechanical engineering plays a key role in Kazakhstan’s industrialization process and in forming sustainable value-added chains. He noted that over the past five years, more than $1.4 billion in foreign direct investment has been attracted to Kazakhstan’s machinery sector, with the total accumulated amount exceeding $4.2 billion.

According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with KAZAKH INVEST, actively supports investors — from the conclusion of agreements to entry into export markets. The priority is not only the implementation of individual projects, but also the creation of industrial ecosystems with a high level of localization and technological resilience. Among the global trends driving investment demand, he highlighted robotics, digital twins, ESG approaches, industrial AI, and the development of components for electric vehicles.

In his opening remarks, Azamat Kozhanov emphasized that mechanical engineering requires long-term strategic investment and an active role of the state in creating conditions for localization and technology transfer.

“As part of the Head of State’s directive to double GDP by 2029, the Government is proactively working to attract investment into processing, mechanical engineering, the agro-industrial complex, and other priority sectors. The Investment Agreement instrument allows us to move from intentions to concrete implementation — these are documents that include mutual commitments from both the investor and the state. Practical implementation begins immediately after signing. Since the beginning of this year, seven agreements totaling over $13 billion have been approved. In total, 13 Investment Agreements have already been agreed upon, and we expect the number to exceed 20 by the end of the year,” he stated.

Azamat Kozhanov paid particular attention to mechanical engineering, noting that projects worth over $700 million are currently under development. These include areas related to railway equipment, defense products, the automotive industry, and shipbuilding. According to him, these initiatives lay the groundwork for increased inflow of foreign direct investment in the coming years and already serve as a foundation for the technological modernization of the economy.

Background:

The XII Kazakhstan Machinery Industry Forum is a key platform for interaction between the government and business to develop proposals for the further advancement of the industry. The forum included discussions on localization, digitalization, workforce development, and investment attraction. One of the central focuses in 2025 was the role of international partners in shaping a new industrial policy.

Source: https://invest.gov.kz

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/invest/press/news/details/983373?lang=kk