Kazakhstan has formed its national robotics team following the conclusion of Alem Tech Fest 2026 — the largest robotics and STEM festival in Central Asia, DKNews.kz reports.
The event, held at the EXPO International Exhibition Center, brought together more than 5,000 school students from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Estonia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
A major platform for young tech talent
The festival was organized by:
- The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan
- USTEM Foundation
- The Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan (Daryn Center)
- Astana Hub international innovation cluster
- The Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan (Smart Sarbaz initiative)
The general sponsor was the Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund.
The central event of the festival was the Central Asia FIRST Championship robotics tournament, where 50 of the strongest teams in Kazakhstan competed.
Path to global competitions
All finalist teams received cash prizes and grants, while international qualification slots were distributed as follows:
- 16 teams joined Kazakhstan’s national robotics team for the FIRST Championship global finals in Houston, USA
- Other top teams will represent Kazakhstan at international tournaments in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia
Government support for tech education
The award ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev and senior leadership of Samruk-Kazyna.
Madiyev emphasized the strategic importance of robotics development:
“This festival clearly demonstrates that Kazakhstan is becoming a major hub of technological talent in Central Asia. Today we see not just schoolchildren with construction kits, but future engineers and architects of artificial intelligence. The development of robotics is the foundation of our digital transformation.”
He added that such initiatives will continue to receive strong government support, as these young innovators will play a key role in advancing technology in industry and public administration.
Investing in the innovation ecosystem
Samruk-Kazyna CEO Nurlan Zhakupov highlighted the long-term impact of supporting youth innovation:
“By supporting this festival, we are investing not only in a competition, but in the entire innovation ecosystem — in people, ideas, and practical solutions that may later be implemented in the real economy. These young talents represent the future workforce of our largest enterprises and the foundation of Kazakhstan’s technological sovereignty.”
National team lineup for FIRST Championship 2026
The Kazakhstan national team heading to the Houston finals includes winners across three categories:
FIRST LEGO League Explore (Junior Category):
- Alem Innovators
FIRST LEGO League Challenge (Intermediate Category):
- FIZTEX
- ToleBi Daryn
- Tidal Tumble
FIRST Tech Challenge (Senior Category):
- JelToqSun
- TGJ
- xCeption
- SANA
- KAP
- Panheya
- OVERTIME
- Nomadic.Dragons.FTC
- FIZMAT ROBOTICS
- FoxSlide
- MLP
- Celestial
Beyond robotics competitions
In addition to the FIRST Championship, the festival hosted a wide range of technology competitions, including:
- Alem Drone League
- RoboCup Soccer
- Physical AI Championship
- RoboCup Rescue
- Battle of Bots
Alem Tech Fest continues to position itself as a key regional platform for discovering and nurturing future engineers, innovators, and AI specialists.
