ASTANA – Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held meetings on Nov. 1 with key leaders in railway engineering, medical technology, and agriculture to discuss investment and localization opportunities in Kazakhstan, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
Railway engineering
Olzhas Bektenov with Rafael Santana. Photo credit: primeminister.kz
With Andrew DeLeone, the President of Alstom’s Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia Region, Bektenov focused on expanding Alstom’s investments in Kazakhstan’s railway sector. Over the past ten years, Alstom has invested approximately 120 million euros (US$130.4 million) in construction, technology, and training, employing over 1,000 locals and establishing seven production bases.
The French company has begun constructing four electric locomotive maintenance centers, creating over 450 new jobs. The project costs 50 million euros (US$54.3 million). The opening of the first service center in Shu, the Zhambyl Region, is scheduled for early 2025. Alstom’s production footprint now represents 30% of Kazakhstan’s railway engineering sector.
Bektenov also spoke with Rafael Santana, the CEO of Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (Wabtec), on green technology integration into Kazakhstan’s railway system. Wabtec is committed to producing eco-friendly locomotives locally, investing around $200 million until 2027 in alternative energy innovations. Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty, a leading transport plant in Central Asia, exports locomotives to markets including Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, and the Kyrgyz Republic and employs over 800 workers.
Healthcare
PM Bektenov meets Konstantinos Deligiannis. Photo credit: primeminister.kz
Bektenov met with Konstantinos Deligiannis, Eurasian and African Growth Markets (EAGM) President at GE HealthCare, to discuss localizing high-tech diagnostic equipment production. GE He
althCare aims to establish production of ultrasound devices and CT scanners in Kazakhstan, alongside a national archive of clinical images and a unified digital healthcare space to bolster data storage and patient safety. Deligiannis highlighted the company’s impact in Kazakhstan, where over 3,000 of its devices are already in use, and announced further expansion plans.
Agriculture
The Prime Minister with Li Xuechun. Photo credit: primeminister.kz
With Fufeng Group Chairman Li Xuechun, Bektenov discussed cooperation in agro-industrial complex and coal chemistry. The company proposed a vertically integrated industrial park for deep corn processing, valued at $300-350 million, and anticipated creating 1,000 jobs.
The project will include starch sugar and amino acid facilities, enhancing the economic value of agricultural output by up to 10-15 times. The company also discussed plans to build coal-fired thermal and wastewater treatment plants. Additionally, Fufeng aims to introduce high-quality fertilizers and agricultural technologies, exploring opportunities in the coal chemical sector.
