The Kazakhstan–China Investment Forum opened on 25 September at the Koktobe Hall in Almaty, with more than 600 delegates. On its sidelines The Astana Times spoke to the head of Nero Group, who described a localisation project with China's UBTech. UBTech was founded in 2012, is based in Shenzhen, and specialises in humanoid and educational robots.
According to him, the cooperation began last November with a meeting arranged on the recommendation of Almaty's city administration, and in July this year an agreement was signed at a Kazakh-Chinese forum in the presence of President Tokayev. The project is already being carried out inside one of Kazakhstan's special economic zones, he said, with initial investment estimated at nearly USD 440 million, and it goes beyond assembling finished products to R&D, research, programming and production facilities.
He stressed that the priority right now is not entertainment robots but education and services, then manufacturing, logistics and other sectors. The company has more than 200 employees and expertise in electronics and circuit boards, and headcount is expected to grow sharply as the robotics business expands. Educational robots are expected to go into production in October, with nearly 30 Almaty schools to be supplied by the end of the year.
For Chinese equipment exporters there is one detail to look at. The company is preparing to enter robotics in Kazakhstan's register of domestic manufacturers, where the technological operations and the share of local content will be recorded. How the register counts local content decides whether a product counts as domestic, and so possibly what advantages it gets in procurement, but that is our own reasoning and the article does not say it.
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On the forum itself, the chairman of Kazakh Invest told The Astana Times it was organised by Kazakh Invest with the support of the Foreign Ministry's Investment Committee, brought together more than 300 companies, was expected to see nearly 50 commercial documents exchanged, and included an exhibition and B2B meetings.
A caveat. The USD 440 million is the company head's estimate, and kt.kz noted the same day that the figure had not appeared in previously published official materials. This article and our piece on the start of educational robot production in Almaty cover the same project; the other one concentrates on capacity and the delivery schedule.
Source: The Astana Times (25 September 2026), https://astanatimes.com/2026/09/kazakhstan-china-advance-440-million-robotics-localization-project/
Kazakhstan Today, https://www.kt.kz/eng/government/kazakhstan_to_begin_producing_educational_robots_in_almaty_1378000573.html
Key facts
- The robot localization project of Nero Group in cooperation with UBTECH has been launched in a special economic zone in Kazakhstan.
- The head said that the project's initial investment is approaching US$440 million, covering R&D, scientific research, programming and production facilities.
- Educational robots are expected to start production in October, and by the end of the year, supply will first go to nearly 30 schools in Almaty.
- The company currently has more than 200 employees and specializes in electronics manufacturing and circuit boards; the number is expected to increase significantly as the robot business expands.
- The company is preparing to include the robots in the Kazakhstan register of domestic manufacturers, indicating the process operations and local content upon registration.
- US$440 million is an estimate by the company head and had not appeared in published official materials.
FAQ
Where was this robot project launched?
The project has been launched in a special economic zone in Kazakhstan, with Nero Group and UBTECH as partners.
What is the initial investment?
The CEO of Nero Group said that the initial investment is approaching US$440 million; the figure comes from the company head and had not previously appeared in official materials.
What stages does the project cover?
The scope is not limited to assembling finished products; it also includes R&D, scientific research, programming and production facilities; at present, priority is given to education and the service sector, and later it will cover manufacturing, logistics and other industries.
When will educational robots be produced, and where will they be supplied?
Production is expected to start in October, and by the end of the year, supply will first go to nearly 30 schools in Almaty.
What impact does the register of domestic manufacturers have on investors?
The company is preparing to include the robots in the register; upon registration, the relevant process operations and local content will be indicated; how the register determines local content directly affects domestic status and also affects whether the company can enjoy domestic preference in government procurement.