ALMATY – ALEM TECH FEST 2026, the largest robotics, artificial intelligence and STEM education festival in Central Asia, opened at the EXPO International Exhibition Center in Astana on Feb. 11, bringing together 5,000 school students from seven countries.
Over 450 teams advanced to the national stage in Astana, where 50 top teams will qualify for international tournaments. Photo credit: Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.
Held as part of Kazakhstan’s Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, the festival runs through Feb. 13 and features engineering competitions, technology showcases and hands-on educational programs, reported the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development’s press service.
The opening day launched contests in FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, RoboCup Soccer and Rescue, drone racing disciplines, and the Physical AI Championship. Students also joined the Hour of AI initiative, completing interactive tasks designed to introduce the basics of artificial intelligence, while other teams began work on satellite and robotics projects.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Bakhtiyar Mukhametkaliev said the festival reflects the country’s focus on nurturing digital skills from an early age and building a strong national innovation ecosystem.
“The ministry always supports such initiatives aimed at developing digital skills and creating a sustainable innovation ecosystem in Kazakhstan.” he said.
A central event of the festival is the Central Asia FIRST Championship, part of the global FIRST robotics movement, which promotes engineering thinking, teamwork and creative problem-solving through practical challenges.
Since October, more than 1,200 teams across Kazakhstan have competed in regional rounds, and over 450 teams advanced to the national stage in Astana, where 50 top teams will qualify for international tournaments. Fourteen teams will travel to Houston for the FIRST Championship world finals, while 36 others will compete in events in Mexico, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, China, Greece and South Korea.
