The “Economic Multiplier” series. Part 1. Why is Kazakhstan’s largest private business investing in Kostanay, and why was the investment forum held on a factory floor? We examine how the region is moving from a raw-material model towards a complex cross-sector system in which private capital accounts for 80% of investment and a single industrial initiative can trigger a chain reaction across related sectors.
The “Economic Multiplier” series. Part 2. The real effect of investment is measured not by the sum of individual projects, but by how they reinforce one another. How do the automotive industry, deep agricultural processing, wind generation and a dry port combine into a single economic cluster? We examine the structural shift in Kostanay Region, where growth in one sector creates reliable demand for the others.
The “Economic Multiplier” series. Part 3. A tonne of grain costs KZT 85,000, while products made through deep processing can be worth up to KZT 500,000. How is a traditionally agricultural region industrialising its rural economy? We show how robotic farms, bioethanol, freeze-drying and agricultural drones are building longer value chains and transforming the region’s core sector.
The “Economic Multiplier” series. Part 4. A vehicle assembled locally can enrich foreign suppliers—or help build domestic industry. How is a full-cycle cluster taking shape around Kostanay’s car plants? From iron casting and reduction gears to domestically produced body sheet, software and university-based engineering training.
The “Economic Multiplier” series. Part 5. Rapid industrial growth inevitably runs into shortages of power and logistics capacity. How are the Tobyl dry port, 1.2 GW of new wind generation and the revival of Arkalyk as a transport hub ceasing to be just construction projects and becoming direct factors of regional economic expansion?
The “Economic Multiplier” series. Part 6. A factory can be built in two years—but who will run it? We examine the concept of “economic gravity”: why the Astana residential district, international university programmes, hotels and healthcare are not simply social expenditure, but key investments in retaining talent and closing the region’s development cycle.
The first article in TALAP’s new cycle, based on a cross-cutting analysis of international reports published in June–July 2026. We compare global economic forecasts and show why continued growth is accompanied by shrinking room for investment, adaptation and development in Kazakhstan.
The second article in TALAP’s series on the new growth model. An analysis of UNCTAD, OECD and UN reports shows why the recovery of international investment is reinforcing capital concentration and what conditions enable Kazakhstan to turn projects into technologies, capabilities and production chains.
The third article in the TALAP series links rising electricity demand, renewable-energy growth, grid modernization and demand for critical minerals. A cross-cutting analysis of international reports shows why the energy transition is becoming an industrial-development challenge for Kazakhstan.
The fourth article in the TALAP series examines how the economic gains from AI are distributed across companies, workers and regions. We compare OECD findings with Kazakhstan’s digital initiatives to understand what conditions turn technological infrastructure into higher productivity and new opportunities.
The final piece in the TALAP series brings together findings on investment, energy, technologies, and regional development. A cross-cutting reading of international reports shows why the outcome of Kazakhstan’s new growth model will depend on the state’s ability to align projects, resources, and decisions.
The global economy is simultaneously experiencing an energy shock and a technological investment boom. Their combination is changing the structure of costs, the direction of capital, and the distribution of opportunities across countries. Access to energy, computing infrastructure, data, and skills is becoming one of the key conditions for economic growth.
