The top 10 green
projects of the year, selected as part of the international GCIP program, were presented
in Astana. The finalists of the national stage of the competition included
solutions in the fields of energy efficiency, clean energy, smart water
management, eco-friendly materials, and digital technologies aimed at reducing
the carbon footprint. According to the Head of the International Green
Technologies Center, such initiatives are shaping a new market for
environmentally friendly solutions and demonstrate that Kazakhstan is capable
of offering competitive, world-class innovations.
«The global innovation program is implemented in 16
countries and holds an international startup competition each year, bringing
together the winners from all 16 countries. This year, the competition was held
in Istanbul, where the 2024 winner from Kazakhstan took first place. Next year,
the competition will be held in Vienna, and the winner of today’s startup
contest will go there to try their luck,» said Chairman of
the International Green Technologies and Investment Projects Center Saken
Kalkamanov.
Experts note that
the focus is on integrating artificial intelligence and digital technologies
into the industrial and agricultural sectors. At the event, attention was drawn
to the Kazakh startup iTOQ, which showcased a next-generation mini electric
tractor. The project, designed to reduce environmental impact, underwent a
six-month international GCIP accelerator, where the team refined its design to
an industrial level.
«Our tractor has several unique features. The first is that it is fully electric. The second is that it has a quick-release battery, providing a range of 100 kilometers and allowing for four hours of continuous operation. Regarding artificial intelligence, the tractor comes with separate modules: you purchase it in a basic configuration and can add components, such as a LiDAR sensor, separately. Thanks to this, the tractor can operate in semi-autonomous or fully autonomous mode. This means that a person does not need to manually plow the entire field. They can first monitor the tractor to ensure it is operating correctly, pause it if needed, get off, and then restart it. The tractor will then autonomously manage a specific section and will not continue until that area has been fully plowed,» noted iTOQ startup founder Alibek Ibraim.
Ten startups are competing not only for a grant but also for the
opportunity to showcase their technologies on an international platform in
Europe, attract investors, and access new markets.
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