A Modern Approach to Workforce Management and the Organisation of Technical Services in Mining Enterprises
Presentations:
Technology and People as the Key to Operational Efficiency in the Mining Industry Nikolai Yenshin
Chief Mining Engineer
CMT Consulting Kazakhstan
Different Approaches to Structuring the Geomechanical and Hydrogeological Services of a Mining Enterprise Ivan Livinskiy
General Director
CMT Consulting Kazakhstan
Collaboration of in-house and external experts in solving mining problems Roman Bondarenko
Director, Head of Geotechnics and Hydrogeology
CMT Consulting
Technical session 2 – ESG Transformation and the “Social Licence” in Kazakhstan’s Mining Sector
Format: Presentations and panel discussion organised in partnership with IMC Montan
Sustainable development is becoming an integral part of the strategy of Kazakhstan’s mining sector, which is entering a new phase of growth. Over the past five years, private investment in solid mineral exploration has increased 2.5 times, rising from KZT 33.9 billion to KZT 82 billion. At the same time, trends across the metals sector demonstrate a tangible expansion of both the mineral resource base and production. Against this backdrop, ESG factors and the social licence to operate are emerging as essential and interconnected pillars supporting sustainable growth: the former establishes an institutional framework for responsibility and risk management, while the latter reflects the extent to which sectoral growth is genuinely accepted by society, employees, and local communities.
During the session, we will examine how international standards for assessing social and environmental commitments are being adapted to national realities. Experts from IMC Montan will present a methodology linking environmental and social risks with a company’s financial performance. The discussion will also cover the specific features of assessment and assurance mechanisms for environmental and social obligations, alongside practical case studies demonstrating the implementation of selected ESG strategy objectives at operational sites.
Moderator
Мaria Sokolova
Environment Consultant, Manager of Environmental Assessment Business Sector
IMC Montan
Presentations:
IMC approaches to financial assessment of environmental and social risks Elena Burdina
Environmental Consultant, environment assessment, audit, health management, health and safety expert
IMC Montan
Social license in the context of ESG: practical recommendations Sergey Sidorkin
Social and Economic Policies
IMC Montan
Integration of international assessment practices in the area of social and environmental obligations Yerbulan Belgibekov
Regional Manager
ES Sustainability
From mine to market: Top 5 critical ESG requirements for critical minerals in 2026 Victor Davydov
Director for Environmental and Social Consulting
ENSOR Management Consultants
Development of the mining and metallurgy industry. State policy on industrial waste and recyclable materials management. Environmental reform. Gulvira Shaimerdenova
Director of Government Relations Department
Qarmet
Technical Session 1 – Innovations and Digitalisation in the Mining Sector: Economic Effect, Challenges, Prospects
Format: Presentations and panel discussion
Digitalisation of the mining industry in Kazakhstan is a key priority of the state program “Digital Kazakhstan”, aimed at improving the productivity and safety of the industry. The process covers the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and the automation of all stages of production. The announcement of 2026 as the “Year of Artificial Intelligence” indicates that digitalisation in Kazakhstan has gone beyond improving administrative efficiency and has become a pillar of state power and economic competitiveness. The session will demonstrate cases of AI implementation and productivity growth due to Industry 4.0 technologies.
Moderator
Chris Bray
Principal Consultant (Mining Engineering)
SRK Consulting (UK)
Presentations:
Digitalization and the application of artificial intelligence in the field of subsoil use and geology Zhannat Dubirova
Vice-minister
Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Digitalization of Mining Enterprises in Kazakhstan: Current State and Prospects Aliya Maussymbayeva
Associate professor of Geology and exploration of mineral deposits department
Abylkas Saginov Karaganda Technical University
Scalable prospectivity workflows: national-scale models to deposit scale targeting, possibilities for Kazakhstan Laura Ward
Consultant (Geologist)
SRK Consulting
Uncover Hidden Value: $50M+ In-Situ Added Through Targeted Short-Program AI Drilling Farzi Yusufali
CEO
Stratum AI
Investment Session 1 – From Risk to Revenue: Modernising Access to Capital for Kazakhstan’s Mining Sector
Format: Presentations and panel discussion organised in partnership with Astana International Financial Centre and Solidcore Resources
Session will be held to discuss new financing solutions for geological exploration – a strategic area essential for unlocking Kazakhstan’s vast mineral potential.
To promote long-term industrial growth, the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, together with the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, is implementing a package of financial support measures, including:
a 100% tax deduction for geological exploration expenses;
a USD 1 billion credit facility for 2025–2030 aimed at supporting projects in the critical minerals sector.
The AIFC provides:
a modern and reliable platform for structuring and financing projects;
a listing framework for junior mining companies at the AIFC Exchange (AIX).
Format: Panel with high-level officials and Industry ambassadors
Kazakhstan pursues foreign direct investment in critical minerals while strengthening state control over its natural resources. The 2026 Tax Code amendments establish “strategic investor” categories with tax incentives tied to mandatory local processing requirements, potentially undermining prior reforms aimed at improving business and investment environment. Recent multi-billion-dollar deals with China highlight escalating competition and a shift toward midstream processing. This panel will examine how the UK, USA, and EU can navigate the tightening regulatory landscape while leveraging Kazakhstan’s established processing advantage to turn high-level diplomacy into technology transfers and offtake agreements to build resilient supply partnerships amid China competition.
Moderator
Ros Lund
CEO
Eurasia Critical Minerals Organisation
Panellists:
Julie Stufft
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Aleska Simkic
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan
Sally Axworthy
His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan
British Embassy in Kazakhstan
Yasumasa Iijima
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan Vision 2030: Developing High Value-Added Mining and Metallurgical Clusters
Format: Presentations and panel discussion with high-level officials and Industry Champions
Kazakhstan ranks sixth globally in total mineral reserves, hosting some 5,000 deposits. The country’s strategic value lies not only in the volume of its resources but in the diversity of its portfolio. Kazakhstan is moving swiftly into midstream mineral processing, aiming to maximise returns from its gold, copper, tungsten and rare earth reserves. This shift merges industrial policy with capital strategy, as Chinese mega‑projects deliver scale while Western investors introduce high‑tech, ESG‑aligned processing like POX and green-hydrogen-ready HBI. The session explores how Kazakhstan can attract financing, stabilise commodity-linked revenues, and build resilience amid volatile global metals markets. Can its energy and water systems sustain this leap? Is the Middle Corridor ready for high‑value exports? How will fiscal policy and investor confidence shape Kazakhstan’s next frontier in value‑added metals?
Moderator
David Pearce
Corporate Consultant (Mining Engineering)
SRK Consulting (UK)
Presentations:
From Local Champions to Global Players: The Next Stage of Development for Mining Companies in Central Asia Vasily Storozhuk
Managing Partner
VSSC
Building Long-Term Partnerships for the Development of Critical Minerals Projects Nariman Absametov
CEO
Tau-Ken Samruk
Dastan Kosherbayev
Chief Strategy and International Development Officer
Kazatomprom
Cove Kaz Capital – Severniy Katpar Case Study Dominic Heaton
CEO
Cove Kaz Capital Group
CNMC: Architecture of the Global Copper Industry Almat Aliyev
Managing Director
SM Minerals
Panellist
Zhandos Shaikhy
Deputy Chairman of the Management Board
National Investment Holding “Baiterek”
Strategy session 2 – Policy Dialogue: Balancing Control and Investment
Format: Panel with high-level officials and Industry ambassadors
Kazakhstan is navigating a dual-track regulatory shift. While aggressively courting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for critical minerals, highlighted by a transition from a Mineral Extraction Tax (MET) to a royalty-based model by 2026–2027-the state is simultaneously tightening its grip on its natural resources. New legislative amendments under the 2026 Tax Code will formalise “strategic investor” statuses and link fiscal terms to strict processing obligations. This session examines how Kazakhstan can reconcile rising resource nationalism with the need for global capital, comparing its strategy against other major mining jurisdictions to find a sustainable path for long-term development.
Moderator:
Samat Daumov
Partner
GRATA International
Panellists:
Almas Kushumov
Director of the Department of Subsoil Use
Ministry of Industry and Construction
Rustam Shuntukov
Managing Director
National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan “Atameken”
Nikolay Radostovets
Executive Director
Republican Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises (AGMP)
Ruslan Baimishev
President
Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines
Nikolai Yenshin
Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee
PONEN
Mining has moved to the centre of geopolitical competition, as critical minerals underpin clean energy, defence and digital technologies. Kazakhstan sits at a strategic crossroads in this new landscape: a major uranium and copper producer with emerging rare earths potential, positioned between Russia, China and Western markets. This session examines how control over resources, refining and midstream processing is reshaping alliances, trade routes and sanctions. Where Kazakhstan fits in evolving supply chains, how partners seek to diversify away from single suppliers, and what this means for the country’s foreign policy and development path.
Moderator
Michael Zlobin
Head of Equity for Natural Resources
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Presentations:
Welcoming Remarks
Iran Sharkhan
Vice-Minister
Ministry of industry and construction Republic of Kazakhstan
New Trends in the Geopolitics of Critical Minerals: Implications for Central Asia
David Lewis
Senior Political Counsellor
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Critical Minerals, Great Powers, and Kazakhstan’s Multi-Vector Reality
Eldaniz Gusseinov
Co-Founder and Head of Research
Nightingale Int.
Regulation of the Mining Industry in Central Asia: Investment Lessons from Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan for Kazakhstan
The national mining company Tau-Ken Samruk has initiated the use of drone technology for state geological exploration in Kazakhstan’s Ulytau region. This project, which is part of a larger initiative by the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development, aims to cover approximately 50,000 square kilometres with airborne geophysical studies. Currently, the company Kazgeologia is conducting these studies, as reported by the press service of the Samruk-Kazyna fund.
The drones, equipped with geophysical sensors, are capable of conducting simultaneous magnetic, gamma-spectrometric, and gravimetric surveys. The measurement system includes devices from Medusa Radiometrics (Netherlands) for spectrometry, Geometrics (USA) for magnetometry, and iMAR Navigation (Germany) for inertial navigation. The positioning accuracy claimed is within a few centimetres, facilitated by RTK navigation technology combined with lidar systems that adjust flight trajectories, enabling the drones to operate effectively in complex terrain.
Data processing at low altitudes provides sufficient resolution to detect small geological anomalies that might not be visible through traditional aerial surveys. This project aligns with a broader goal set by the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan, which aims to conduct detailed geological mapping of the entire country at a scale of 1:50,000 by the end of 2026. To achieve this, modern technologies, including drone systems, will be integrated into the geological survey processes.
In 2026, Kazakhstan allocated over 40.7 billion tenge from the government reserve to launch 20 geological survey projects at the 1:50,000 scale. The total area to be explored is around 100,000 square kilometres, with geological exploration expected to conclude by the end of 2028. This initiative is a significant step towards enhancing the country’s geological data and resource management, showcasing the integration of advanced technology in the mining sector.
