Forum summary

MINEX Kazakhstan 2022

The 12th MINEX Kazakhstan Mining and Exploration Forum took place in the city of Nur-Sultan on 6-7 April 2022

Briefly about previous events

The MINEX Forum has been held in Kazakhstan since 2010 and is one of the most influential mining events in Central Asia. Annually the Forum brings together leaders from the national and international mining and exploration companies, ministries and other governmental organisations, investment funds and banks, service companies and equipment manufacturers from Kazakhstan and overseas.

The last time forum MINEX Kazakhstan was held in a physical format in 2019 and brought together more than 450 executives from 16 countries representing 152 companies and organisations. More than 600 people visited the trade show, and more than 80 experts spoke at the Forum. In March 2021, a virtual 3D exhibition was launched on the digital platform of the Forum. The exhibition was created in an interactive format using virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and online communication technologies. In September 2021 the 11th MINEX Kazakhstan Forum was held online bringing to its remote platform over 700 participants from Kazakhstan and abroad.

MINEX Kazakhstan 2022 summary

The 12th MINEX Kazakhstan Mining and Exploration Forum took place in the city of Nur-Sultan on 6-7 April 2022. The Forum was the first major international industry event organised after the lifting of COVID19 restrictions in Kazakhstan. Over 950 physical and remote participants from Kazakhstan and other countries took part.

The Forum stimulated a broad discussion of the challenges, trends and initiatives taking place in the mining and geological industry in Kazakhstan. More than 80 heads and experts of the ministries, international organisations, mining and industrial companies discussed the actions taken by the government and business to strengthen Kazakhstan’s ability to implement strategic economic priorities and increase the country’s participation in the global production of critical metals and materials.

New trade, investment and business development opportunities in the mining and exploration of mineral resources in Kazakhstan and the countries of Central Asia were presented at the Forum. National and international companies, stock exchanges and institutional investors participated in the discussions on the prospects and challenges for organising finance and attracting investors in mining and carbon zero modernisation projects.

At the technical sessions of the Forum, Kazakhstani and International companies presented cases and technologies in various practical areas e.g. design of the digital mine twins, transition to renewable energy sources, decarbonisation of production, environmental monitoring, industrial safety, financing ESG projects, closure of deposits and reclamation of subsoil use facilities.

Mining Goes Digital Conference

The Mining Goes Digital conference was organised for the first time at the Forum in Kazakhstan. The conference was dedicated to the digital transformation of mining and metallurgical enterprises in Kazakhstan and showcased digitalisation examples at Ust-Kamenogorsk Titanium and Magnesium Plant, KATKO, Kostanay Minerals, National Atomic Company Kazatomprom, Kazzinc and ZIF “Pustynnoe” at Altynalmas.

Trade show

One of the important components of the Forum is the presentation of innovative mining and exploration technologies. Over 40 Kazakhstani and International companies demonstrated their products and achievements at the exhibition organised during the Forum. 16 companies from Kazakhstan, Russia, Great Britain and Canada held demonstrations of innovative technologies and equipment at the business tracks.

MineDigital Competition

Digitalisation of industrial production is one of the priorities of Kazakhstan’s economic development. According to official estimates, digitalisation can increase the efficiency of almost all enterprises of the mining and metallurgical industry and reduce the cost of mining transportation operations by 10-15 percent. In small and medium-sized enterprises, this potential is up to 50% or more. Many mining and metals companies have already formed a strategy for the digital transformation of production and are studying the possibilities of introducing Industry 4.0 technologies to improve the efficiency of both individual production facilities and large integrated complexes.

The first MineDigital Competition was organised alongside the Forum and provided an independent platform for evaluating the real prospects of implementation of advanced digitalisaiton technologies at the mining and metals enterprises in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

All participants received commemorative diplomas. Presentations that received the highest number of votes were awarded prizes for the first, second, and third places. The awards ceremony took place at the Gala Dinner which concluded the Forum.

MINEX Kazakhstan 2022 facts and figures

In-person participants

The Forum was attended by 357 representatives from 170 mining and metallurgical and service companies, governmental bodies, manufacturers of equipment for exploration, mining and processing of ores and minerals.

More than 60% of in-person participants of the MINEX Kazakhstan 2022 forum participate in decision-making as directors, boards members, and senior executives.

Mining companies
IT and communication companies
Companies providing geological technologies and services
Consulting companies
Manufacturers and suppliers of equipment
Government agencies and organisations
Laboratories and analytical services
NGOs and Academic Organisations
Other services
Financing and investments

Geographical location of in-person participants

16 countries were represented at the forum in Nur-Sultan. More than half of the in-person participants of the forum live and work in Kazakhstan. Besides the local companies, the largest groups of participants were from Russia, the United Kingdom, and Turkey.

Kazakhstan 59.5%

Russia 26.2%

United Kingdom 4.5%

Remote participants

The live broadcast of the main sessions of the Forum was watched by 319 viewers. More than half connected from Kazakhstan, 20% from Russia and 8% from the UK. The rest of the viewers were from Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Mongolia, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United States and Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan 60%

Russia 20%

United Kingdom 8%

Ukraine 2%

United States 1%

Uzbekistan 1%

Georgia 1%

Other countries 7%

Exhibiting companies

48 companies and organisations from Kazakhstan, Russia, Great Britain, Australia, the USA, Germany, New Zealand and Canada presented at the exhibition, held within the framework of the Forum. Several companies from Ukraine and Canada were represented only in the virtual section of the exhibition.

About a third of exhibiting companies specialize in the production and supply of equipment for geological prospecting, extraction, processing and transportation of metals and minerals. The second-largest group of companies specialise in digitalisation and automation of production in the mining and metallurgical industry. The third-largest group of exhibitors provide services and equipment for mineral exploration, drilling and blasting operations.

Equipment
IT and mobile communication
Exploration services
Consulting
Engineering & Production

Exhibition Visitors

263 in-person visitors were registered at the exhibition. As admission to the exhibition did not require pre-registration, the number of visitors was higher and is estimated at about 400-500 people.

Most of the registered visitors work at Kazakhstani and International mining and metallurgical enterprises, Equipment suppliers and Service sectors. The rest of the visitors work in government organisations, Universities, IT, Financial and Trading companies. The exhibition was also visited by foreign specialists from Iran, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Canada, South Africa, the USA, Switzerland, and Uzbekistan.