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The trade mission to Kazakhstan headed by Mr. Fernand Ernster, President of the Chamber of Commerce, took place on 2-6 October 2023. The delegation composed of 14 companies and accompanied by several Luxembourg officials visited two biggest Kazakh cities, Almaty and Astana.
On the first day of the trade mission, the Luxembourg business delegation participated in the Luxembourg-Kazakhstan Business Forum that united more than 60 participants in order to discuss the existing and potential business opportunities in the region. In the opening statement, Mr. Fernand Ernster pointed out that Luxembourg is often considered to be the heart of Europe, while Kazakhstan is very often called the heart of Central Asia. „Perhaps, this is trade mission is a good occasion for them to beat in union”, - Mr. Ernster noted. The opening statements were also given by Mr. Tom Reisen, Ambassador-designate of Luxembourg to Kazakhstan and Mr. Berik Sultanbaev, Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Investment, AKIMAT, the Mayor’s Office in Almaty.
In the framework of the Business Forum, Ms. Cindy Tereba, Director International Affairs, gave a presentation on the Luxembourg economic ecosystem, followed by a panel discussion on the Investment Climate in Kazakhstan. The latter brought together speakers from AKIMAT of Almaty (the Mayor’s Office in Almaty), ATAMEKEN (Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan), KAZAKH INVEST (Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency), Special Economic Zone of Almaty, that presented the advantages of establishing and doing business in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan positions itself as a leading hub in Central Asia and Luxembourg companies learned about concrete business opportunities in various sectors.
Furthermore, in Almaty, delegates visited MOST Hub, a private community of Tech StartUps in Almaty, where its residents presented their cases to the Luxembourg community. On the same day, a visit of TechGarden, a smart and professional environment for the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies, was organised. Given the clear interest of the Luxembourg business delegation in digital innovation and ICT sector, the participants had fruitful exchanges with their potential counterparts.
On the 3rd day of the mission, the delegation arrived in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, where it continued to discover the potential of Kazakhstan in the ICT sector. In Astana Hub, the largest international technopark for IT startups in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, delegates were welcomed with a tour and pitches of its residents. The Luxembourg representatives also pitched their services and conducted first productive exchanges during the networking. The day concluded with tailored B2B sessions.
On the 4th and last day of the mission, the business delegation visited the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry, where it met with Mr. Askar Zhambakin, Vice-Minister of Digital Development. Some examples of innovative know-how from Kazakhstan were showcased, while Luxembourg companies introduced their services.
The delegation also visited the Astana International Financial Centre, a unique place for business and finance in Central Asia. Parties discussed potential synergies in various sectors, including ICT and sustainable finance.
Overall, in the framework of the mission, numerous B2B meetings have been organized by the BeNeLux Chamber of Commerce in Kazakhstan. This trade mission represents the continuation of a series of initiatives between Kazakh and Luxembourg stakeholders.
