BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 4. Kazakhstan plans
to establish a National Critical Materials Laboratory in Astana to
accelerate the country's integration into global value chains,
identify priority areas for developing its mineral resource base,
and reduce dependence on imports, according to the Kazakh
government.


First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Nurlybek Nalibayev
announced this at a government press conference on the development
of the real sector of the economy in Astana.


He said that particular attention is being paid to the
development of the mining sector, the production of critical
materials, and the modernization of geological exploration.


"Given growing demand from the automotive industry and the
renewable energy sector, the sector's development will focus on
four production areas. These include the production of battery
materials, the processing and production of materials used in jet
engine components, the semiconductor industry, and the
establishment of a complete production cycle for permanent
magnets.


A pool of projects has been formed in these areas, including
projects involving foreign investors. Cooperation is being
developed with Germany's Bergbau AG, the Korea Institute of
Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Australia's Lindian Resources
Limited, and other international partners," Nalibayev said.







As part of the President's instructions to develop the
geological sector, mineral exploration is being conducted using
advanced technologies. Kazakhstan has launched its first
government-led geological mapping project at a scale of
1:50,000.


Over the next three years, the country plans to implement 20
projects covering an area of approximately 100,000 square
kilometers.


"Alongside traditional methods, advanced Ionic Leach technology
is being used to identify concealed ore deposits, together with
artificial intelligence, satellite data, and unmanned aerial
vehicles. Preliminary data have already indicated the potential of
seven sites. Sites whose potential is confirmed will be prepared
for auction next year," Nalibayev said.


In addition, approximately 4.8 million units of primary
geological data are being integrated into the Unified Subsoil Use
Platform. This is expected to improve the use of accumulated
geological information in the search for new deposits.