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The development of the engineering industry will benefit from robotics, according to Meiram Pshembaev.

The country lacks the capacity to engage a large workforce to boost production output, he believes.
The development of the engineering industry will benefit from robotics, according to Meiram Pshembaev.

The Chairman of the Union of Machine Builders of Kazakhstan, Meiram Pshembaev, stated at a government meeting that one of the solutions for more active development in the machine engineering sector is industrial robotization, as reported by a correspondent from the business information center Kapital.kz.

He explained that labor productivity in Kazakhstan is $22,000 per worker, while in the USA, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden, this figure approaches $150,000.

“The concept for the development of the manufacturing industry for 2023-2029 does not cover all aspects of the sector's growth and may slow the process of doubling GDP. Currently, 6.9 million people are engaged in the real sector of Kazakhstan's economy, and given the total working-age population, the country cannot employ a large number of people to increase production volumes while aiming for a twofold economic growth. In this regard, achieving higher labor productivity by 2029 can be facilitated by utilizing robotic production complexes, as clearly demonstrated by the experience of countries with developed economies,” the head of the Union clarified.

According to him, in Singapore, there is one thousand robots for every 10,000 workers, in South Korea - 800, in Germany and Japan - 400 each, whereas in Kazakhstan, there are only 7.

“In 2023, only 100 robotic complexes were implemented in Kazakhstan, while in China, there are 290,000. This trend will certainly grow with the development of the economy. Robotization, first of all, would help address staffing issues and modernize the machinery fleet... We do not produce machines and equipment. At the same time, we plan to spend significant amounts on purchases. Why? It’s better to establish (robotized - Ed.) production and immediately move to the fourth or fifth processing stage. Instead of buying machines, we should install robots. One robot can replace five to six people, up to ten,” he summarized.

He noted that since 2020, a facility has been allocated to the German robot manufacturer KUKA Roboter within the EXPO territory. “They did not go to Uzbekistan; they are here. Now it’s time for us to take this matter more seriously. The first senior president of this company is ready to come here. I would suggest meeting with him at the government level. An entrepreneur who takes advantage of the opportunity to purchase robots with state support through various financing programs could commit to increasing labor productivity. Without state support, of course, it is impossible to carry out this work,” Meiram Pshembaev emphasized.

He proposed to include the implementation of robotic complexes in the documents of the state planning system and clearly outline indicators for productivity growth, as well as foresee mechanisms for state support, “without which companies cannot independently establish the implementation of industrial robots.”

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov responded that the country's budgetary capabilities are limited, “but the government will work in this direction,” and issues related to the protection of domestic producers and obligations for purchasing domestic products will be clearly outlined in the national project for the modernization of public utilities.

“I would ask all representatives of the relevant industry associations to provide their proposals so that we do not overlook this issue. It is very important. About 10 trillion tenge is planned to be allocated for this program. These are significant volumes for our business. I fully support robotization. I have already given instructions. We need to expedite the development of the program. It should be practical. We must clearly proceed with the implementation of robotization,” he concluded.