The Prime Minister visited the newly opened NU Өnergy creative hub at Nazarbayev University — the first interdisciplinary space in Central Asia that brings together fundamental science, technology, creative industries, and entrepreneurship. The hub is built around the concept of science-art, transforming ideas from scientific and creative communities into solutions for the real economy.
Only a handful of projects worldwide operate according to this “gold standard” model, including MIT Media Lab in the United States, Aalto Design Factory in Finland, and Station F in France. NU Өnergy adapts this approach to the regional context, with its key distinction being deep integration with NU’s academic and research ecosystem.
The hub features six laboratories open to the public, ranging from digital media and filmmaking to biodesign and gastronomy. One of them, Sound Lab, is implementing the Cultural Legacy of the Steppe: Piano project in partnership with Steinway & Sons. As part of the initiative, recordings from Kazakhstan’s “golden collection” of musical works, performed by leading contemporary pianists, will become part of the global Spirio library.
BioDesign Lab serves as a research platform where biology becomes a design tool. Researchers there work with mycelium, bacterial textiles, and air purification systems based on algae, ceramics, and plants.
At FoodLab, with scientific support from the Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, teams are developing functional food prototypes and studying local products through the lens of evidence-based medicine.
The Head of Government also reviewed cutting-edge scientific developments, startups, and high-tech projects in artificial intelligence, education, medicine, biotechnology, agriculture, sports technology, and cultural heritage preservation. Among the featured projects were the Artisan Education platform, which has already reached more than 200 schools across Kazakhstan and is expanding into ten international markets; Mirai Tech, a biomechanical analysis system based on smart insoles that is already working with Kazakh football clubs and undergoing pilot programs in Europe and the United States; and the A-GEAR medical exoskeleton, which has completed certification and entered commercial distribution.
In the agricultural sector, showcased projects included BunkSense — the CIS region’s first AI-powered livestock feeding monitoring system — and the Cattle Reproductive Biotechnology Laboratory. Other innovations included an autonomous drone controlled in the Kazakh language without GPS or cloud connectivity, the Green Dala eco-project for urban greening infrastructure, and a national program for the digital documentation of architectural heritage using LiDAR and drones.