BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 6. Kazakhstan's research and development (R&D) expenditure more than doubled to 260 billion tenge ($543 million) between 2023 and 2026, while the number of researchers and developers increased to 28,374.
According to government data, domestic R&D spending rose from 121.5 billion tenge ($254 million) in 2023 to 260 billion tenge ($543 million) in 2026, marking a 114% increase over three years. The number of researchers and developers reached 28,374 in 2025, nearly one-third higher than four years earlier, with around half classified as young scientists.
In 2025, more than 1,200 fundamental and applied research projects were completed, while 241 innovation projects are currently being implemented. More than 30 domestic technological solutions have already reached international markets. Among the notable developments are Satbayev University's technology for producing high-purity technical selenium with a purity level of 99.5% through vacuum distillation, as well as Nazarbayev University's research into producing cathode material precursors for lithium-ion batteries using domestic raw materials.
Kazakhstan has also introduced new funding mechanisms covering experimental design work, including the development of prototypes, pilot samples and technology solutions ready for industrial implementation. Additional incentives for businesses participating in research projects include tax deductions on R&D-related expenses.
Beyond direct research financing, Kazakhstan is also expanding mechanisms aimed at strengthening the broader innovation ecosystem, including through public-private partnerships in education and healthcare. According to Aidos Kobetov, First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and Board Member of the Kazakhstan Public-Private Partnership Center JSC, around 57% of the country's 1,300 PPP agreements are related to the education sector, covering kindergartens, schools and other educational facilities.
"Compared with other Central Asian countries and Russian regions, the PPP mechanism in Kazakhstan is quite well developed. On the one hand, we are interested in studying international experience, while on the other hand, we take a cautious approach to introducing new contracts that involve significant government obligations," Kobetov told Trend.
He noted that Kazakhstan has also expanded cooperation with international financial institutions in developing PPP projects, including initiatives supported by the Asian Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation in higher education, healthcare and infrastructure.
Trend's analysis shows that Kazakhstan's rapid increase in R&D expenditure marks a significant expansion of its science and innovation agenda, while also highlighting the scale of investment required to build a fully developed knowledge-based economy. Trend's calculations show that 260 billion tenge ($543 million) represents approximately 0.24% of Kazakhstan's GDP. This remains below the OECD average of around 2.7%, the EU average of approximately 2.2%, and Russia's level of about 1.1%, indicating that further growth in research intensity will remain an important part of Kazakhstan's long-term innovation strategy.
Reaching 1% of GDP in R&D spending would require annual research expenditure of approximately $2.3 billion at current GDP levels. This suggests that Kazakhstan's next stage will focus not only on increasing funding volumes, but also on improving research commercialization, strengthening university-industry links and attracting greater private-sector participation.
The expansion of the research workforce is another important element of this process. With 28,374 researchers across a population of approximately 20.5 million, Kazakhstan has around 1,384 researchers per million inhabitants. While this remains below levels seen in advanced research economies, the continued growth of the scientific workforce and support programs for researchers provide a foundation for further development of the sector.
The increase of the age ceiling for "young scientists" from 35 to 44 reflects an effort to broaden access to research support mechanisms and retain specialists at different stages of their scientific careers. As Kazakhstan develops its innovation ecosystem, maintaining a balance between supporting early-career researchers and experienced specialists will remain an important policy consideration.
The development of education infrastructure through PPP mechanisms complements the growth of R&D spending by addressing one of the key conditions for innovation - the availability of skilled human capital. In Trend's assessment, research capacity depends not only on laboratories and financing, but also on the ability of the education system to continuously supply qualified specialists for science-intensive industries. The battery materials initiative corresponds with a global shift toward new energy technologies and growing demand for diversified supply chains. If successfully scaled, such projects could allow Kazakhstan to participate in higher-value segments of emerging industries, complementing its traditional strengths in mining and raw materials.
