ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 28. In Astana, a
Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Austrian company AVL
List GmbH, Kazakh engineering firm IAS, and Kazakh Invest, Trend reports.
The document was signed by Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Invest
Yerzhan Yelekeyev, Regional Business Development Director of AVL
List GmbH Ulfrid Erbar, and Business Development Director of LLP
IAS Daniyar Bolat.
In the course of the meeting, the parties agreed to jointly develop a project to establish a national testing and certification center for motor vehicles in Kazakhstan. The project envisions the construction of a state-of-the-art laboratory and testing ground to conduct all necessary tests and certifications of vehicles and components in compliance with international UNECE and Euro standards. The estimated investment volume is approximately 40 million euros.
Furthermore, the execution of the initiative will markedly diminish the domestic automotive sector's reliance on external accreditation entities and expedite the ingress of Kazakh commodities into the EU, Middle East, and CIS marketplaces. The hub will cater to both Kazakh producers and original equipment manufacturers from Central Asia and other regions.
“Kazakhstan has great potential for hosting high-tech production, and it is especially important now to develop supporting infrastructure. The certification and testing center planned in partnership with AVL and IAS will be a systemic step forward for the entire automotive sector. This project brings deep multiplier effects — it creates engineering jobs, stimulates exports, reduces certification costs, and, most importantly, opens doors for localization within global supply chains. We welcome the involvement of technological leaders such as AVL and are ready to support the project through all stages,” said Yerzhan Yelekeyev, Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Invest.
The initiative also encompasses the formulation of engineering
training modules in collaboration with Kazakh academic institutions
and the enhancement of applied research paradigms within the
automotive domain.
The execution of the memorandum signifies a pivotal juncture in
enhancing industrial synergies between Kazakhstan and Austria,
while concurrently establishing Kazakhstan as a technological nexus
within the regional automotive sector.
AVL List GmbH is one of the world’s leading companies in automotive technology development and testing. Founded in 1948 in Austria, it operates in 26 countries, manages 45 global engineering and tech centers, holds more than 2,200 patents, and invests 11 percent of its 1.9 billion euro annual turnover in R&D. AVL partners with companies such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Geely, and others.
