(partner event) Belgium – Kazakhstan Critical Minerals Seminar in Astana

The seminar is organised by SIM² KU Leuven, co-organised by Nazarbayev University, and supported by the Ministry of Industry and Construction and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In an increasingly fragmented global landscape, trusted international partnerships around critical raw materials are becoming ever more important. Kazakhstan has demonstrated a strong ambition to develop its critical minerals sector beyond extraction and to strengthen international cooperation in processing, refining, technology and innovation. At the same time, Belgian companies and research organisations offer considerable expertise across the critical raw materials value chain.

The seminar will bring together key Belgian and Kazakh representatives from industry, government and academia to explore concrete opportunities for cooperation across the critical minerals value chain. The discussions will cover the development of processing and refining capacities in Kazakhstan, advanced materials production, technology and know-how transfer, investment opportunities, and joint R&D initiatives addressing concrete industrial needs. Raw materials of interest include, but are not limited to, rare earths, Be, Ta, Nb, W, Sb, Zn and battery raw materials.

A key objective of the seminar is to facilitate direct contacts between Belgian and Kazakh companies and organisations and help identify potential partners, projects and investment opportunities. The programme will therefore combine expert contributions and panel discussions with networking opportunities, allowing participants to connect directly with relevant industrial, governmental and research stakeholders from both countries.

For Belgian organizations/companies active in metallurgy, processing, recycling, R&D, or related services, the seminar offers an opportunity to to connect directly with Kazakh CRM stakeholders and explore potential partnerships for processing, refining, technology deployment and joint research projects in Kazakhstan.

Practical details:

Date: Monday, 12 October 2026, 14:00 – 18:00
Location: Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

Program will be shared later.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Kindly register by 20 September 2026 via: https://kuleuven.sim2.be/crm/