East Kazakhstan Technical University named after D. Serikbaev has opened the Institute for Critical Materials and Sustainable Metallurgy in Ust-Kamenogorsk. It will study rare and rare earth metals and develop new ways of processing them. A capsule was laid in the foundation of the institute’s future building during the ceremony, which was attended by regional governor Nurymbet Saktaganov.
The institute will focus on:
- Processing of rare and rare earth metals, and new materials and technologies for the mining and metallurgical industry
- Recovering valuable metals from technogenic waste left over from mining and processing
- Applying AI and mathematical modelling to make metallurgical production more efficient
A central aim is to bridge the gap between science and industry, so that research is put to use at operating enterprises. International cooperation is planned too, with a joint research and education centre between the university and Belgium’s KU Leuven under discussion. Regional R&D spending exceeded 12 billion tenge in 2025, up 11% on the year before and among the top five regions nationally.
The opening comes amid mounting foreign interest in Kazakhstan’s critical minerals. In May 2026, US-based Cove Kaz Capital Group completed the purchase of a 70% stake in Northern Katpar, developer of a major tungsten deposit in the Karaganda region, for $114.8 million. The investor has committed at least $1.1 billion to the project, with total costs potentially approaching $2 billion and production targeted for 2030. Tau-Ken Samruk retains the remaining 30%.
Astana’s policy direction is clear. On 20 August, President Tokayev told a Security Council session that Kazakhstan must build its own competencies and production chains, and instructed the government to expand exploration and processing and to use industrial waste as an additional source of raw materials. In June he told European business representatives that Kazakhstan is ready to supply 21 of the 34 minerals on the EU’s critical raw materials list, offering access to strategic resources in exchange for investment and technology, so that Kazakhstan can process raw materials domestically rather than simply export them.
For the industry, the message is that Kazakhstan is building the scientific base for value-added processing as well as opening up its resources.
