Website: Kazakhstan.com

MINEX Kazakhstan 2026 – Deal or No Deal? Making Early-Stage Kazakh Mining M&A Work

Format: Presentations and panel discussion

The challenge of evaluating and negotiating mining projects is a symptom of a market in transition in Kazakhstan. Small mining companies that cling to unrealistic, un-modelled price expectations risk being left behind as the sector consolidates around sophisticated majors and state-backed giants. Conversely, buyers who fail to appreciate the improving regulatory landscape, the tax benefits, and the genuine geological potential of the region will miss out on the global race for critical minerals. The case-based approach demonstrates that the valuation gap is bridged when both sides stop looking at the ground and start looking at the project’s technical, financial, and legal “Basis of Design”.

Moderator

Kassi Beisembetov
Managing Partner
Alphamar

Presentations:

Attracting Investment and M&A Transactions in the Mining Sector
Vladislav Lozovoi
Head of Business Development
ALT Management

Evaluation and Comparison of Early Stage Exploration Assets
Anna Fardell
Principal Resource Geologist
SLR Consulting

Panellists:

Michael Zlobin
Head of Equity for Natural Resources
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Che Osmond
Technical Director – Mining Advisory
SLR Consulting

Strategy session 5 – How can Kazakhstan derive the highest benefit from international critical mineral interest?

Format: Discussion co-organised with the Eurasia Critical Minerals Organisation

While global interest in the five Central Asian nations is rising, Kazakhstan remains the region’s clear leader. With an estimated $46 trillion in untapped mineral wealth —including 40% of global uranium reserves and major deposits of bauxite and copper—Kazakhstan is attracting unprecedented attention from the US, UK, EU, China, Japan and South Korea.

Yet the era of simply exporting raw materials is ending. For Kazakhstan and its neighbours to become industrial powerhouses, several key questions must be addressed:
– How can Kazakhstan turn non-binding agreements into financeable, high-tech infrastructure projects?
– What reforms and investments are needed to build domestic processing capacity for rare earth elements and battery-grade materials?
– How can Kazakhstan’s multi-vector foreign policy protect national interests while balancing East and West?

Join experts invited by the Eurasia Critical Minerals Organisation as we move beyond the hype around mineral wealth and examine the practical steps—through policy reform, Middle Corridor logistics, and deep-processing partnerships—that can secure Kazakhstan’s role in the global supply chain.

Moderator

Ros Lund
CEO
Eurasia Critical Minerals Organisation

Panellists:

Aidyn Akan
Managing Director
National Investment Holding “Baiterek”

Azat Kabdrashitov
Advisor to CEO
Kazakh Invest

Michael Waitz
Head of Metals & Mining
KfW IPEX-Bank

Farkhat Yergaliyev
General Director
Dala Resources

Tim Archer
Managing Director
Reid Geophysics

Pitch-up session 3 – Business to business presentations alongside exhibition

Presentations:

Company presentation and solutions for the mining and geological industry
Aizhan Baizhigitova
Head of the Elemental Analysis and Molecular Spectroscopy Sales Department
ProLabSupport

The use of modern equipment as a guarantee of success for a service company
Daria Norova
Leading Project Manager for Geophysics
LNDC Kazakhstan

About services of Stewart Assay and Environmental Laboratories
Salamat Imanakunov
Laboratory Manager
Stewart Assay and Environmental Laboratories

The use of the Luna Line computer vision platform for production automation and enterprise security monitoring
Dmitry Malcev
Senior Project Manager
VisionLabs

Pitch-up session 2 – Business to business presentations alongside exhibition

Presentations:

Solutions to improve production and energy efficiency at minerals enrichment plants
Esko Tahkola
Business Development Manager, Europe, Central Asia, Middle East and Northern Africa
CiDRA Minerals Processing

Construction of a detailed 3D model of tectonic faults based on 3D seismic exploration data
Alexander Oshkin
CTO
Sonica

Micromine Advance – A New Standard for Underground Mine Planning
Zhenis Shlatayev
Product specialist
Micromine Central Asia

Designing for Diverse Geographies: Challenges, Considerations, and 50 Years of Engineering Expertise
Ilhan Kose
Area Manager
TREYSAN Prefabricated Steel Construction Industry & Trade

Integrated Laboratory Capabilities for Mining and Exploration Projects: ARGETEST
Alesya Tüzün
Regional Director
Argetest

Pitch-up session 1 – Business to business presentations alongside exhibition

Presentations:

New Directions in Time-Domain Electromagnetic Exploration: Electromagnetic Tomography (iT) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAV-TEM)
Georgy Trigubovich
Ph.D., D.Sc, Prof., Director of Geophysics
EM Surveys

UAV Time Domain EM and magnetic surveys technology and interpretation innovations
Vladislav Kaminski
Principal Geophysicist
Promiseland Exploration

Field formation sounding and electrical tomography in deep geological mapping in the Shu-Sarysu basin
Vladimir Tarasov
Geologist – geophysicist
Smart Geophysics limited

How VEDART RS® digital exploration technology reduces risks and cuts exploration costs.
Olena Dikol
Geoinformation Technologies Specialist
Geojet Group

Uncover Hidden Value: AI for Smarter Mining Decisions
Aidan Kubeyev
Forward Deployed ML Engineer
Stratum AI

Service that extends life: new approaches to managing mining equipment
Sholpan Medelbekova
CEO
Central Asia Mining Services

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).

Moderator

Zhanbolat Kakishev
Chief Product Officer
AIFC

Panellists:

Vitaly Nesis
Chief Executive Officer
Solidcore Resources

Huseyin Ozhan
Managing Director, Central Asia and Mongolia
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Philip Clegg
Managing Partner
Orion Resource Partners

Michael Waitz
Head of Metals & Mining
KfW IPEX-Bank

Vladimir Lee
Deputy Chairman of the Management Board for Lending
Development Bank of Kazakhstan