Tech. Researcher & International Project Specialist.
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Aizhan Samambayeva
Aizhan Samambayeva
International collaboration expert in Research & Innovation, critical raw materials sector, and emerging technologies. Working across Horizon Europe projects, industrial partnerships, AI-based technologies, and sustainable development initiatives connecting Central Asia and Europe.
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"Technology, industrial transformation, and international cooperation are increasingly interconnected. Thus, my work focuses on supporting collaboration between research, industry, and international partners to contribute to sustainable technological and industrial development in Central Asia and beyond."
Dr. Aizhan Samambayeva is a Kazakhstan-based researcher and international project expert working across critical raw materials, industrial innovation, EU programme management, circular economy, and applied digital technologies. Her work focuses on building practical connections between research, industry, and international partnerships, particularly in the areas of strategic raw materials, industrial transformation, circular economy, and emerging digital technologies.
Based in East Kazakhstan, one of the major industrial regions of the country, she works with D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan State Technical University of Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (www.ektu.kz), and local industrial partners and recognized research organizations.
Presently, she is promoting EU-East Asia consortia partnerships on projects related to advanced materials, titanium, beryllium, rare earth elements, sustainable processing, and technology development.
PhD Economics, University of Santiago de Compostela
MBA, University of Ljubljana
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8600-7980
Scopus Author ID: 57429272600
Appointed Horizon Europe National Contact Point (NCP) for Kazakhstan. Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space.
Strategic Insights & Focus Areas
Strategic Insights & Focus Areas
01. Critical Raw Materials (CRM) & Rare Earth Elements (REE) sector. Projects and collaboration related to strategic raw materials, industrial waste valorization, sustainable industrial mining processing, circular economy approaches and industrial sustainability.
02. Horizon Europe & International Cooperation. Participation in transnational project development focusing on research and innovation initiatives connecting universities, industry, and research organizations across Europe and Central Asia.
03. AI & Emerging Technologies. Work related to AI-driven diagnostics, computer vision, behavioral analysis, and digital technologies for health and social applications.
04. Technology transfer and intellectual property (IP) exploitation in a transnational context with Central Asia as the main target market.
Projects & works
Projects & works
2025–2029 I HORIZON Europe TiBeRIUM, awarded and within implementation phase. Partner institution representative and CRM expert in bilateral consortium EU-Kazakhstan focused on titanium and beryllium resources, green processing, industrial innovation, and sustainable metallurgical supply chains.
2026-2030 | HORIZON Europe catalyst & hydrogen technology recycling project, submitted and under evaluation. Partner contribution in a Horizon Europe project focused on recovering critical raw materials from end-of-life electrolysers, fuel cells, and automotive catalyst streams. The project develops circular technologies for dismantling, refurbishment, and high-purity CRM recovery, supported by digital product passports and material flow analysis. For Kazakhstan, the work is relevant to catalyst materials, hydrogen technologies, advanced metallurgy, and future participation in European circular raw materials value chains.
2026-2030 | HORIZON Europe urban mining and CRM recycling project, submitted and under evaluation. Kazakhstan industrial partner contribution in a Horizon Europe project focused on recovering rare earth elements, niobium, and tantalum from electronic waste, permanent magnets, and printed circuit boards. The project’s technologies include AI-based sorting, low-energy leaching, and electrolysis for high-purity CRM recovery. For Kazakhstan, the work supports industrial know-how in urban mining, creates links with European recycling value chains, and strengthens national expertise in advanced materials, magnets, and critical raw materials processing.
2026-2030 | HORIZON Europe sustainable extraction from complex CRM deposits, submitted and under evaluation. Kazakhstan academic partner contribution in a Horizon Europe project focused on next-generation technologies for sustainable extraction of critical raw materials from complex, difficult-to-access, and abandoned mineral deposits. The project connects mining clusters, research organisations, digital technology partners, and geotechnology experts to improve how CRM deposits are identified, accessed, and processed with lower environmental impact. For Kazakhstan, the work is relevant to sustainable mining, valorisation of underused or abandoned deposits, stronger research links with European mining innovation networks, and future application of cleaner CRM extraction technologies.
2026-2030 | HORIZON Europe sustainable CRM mining project, submitted and under evaluation. EU Projects Manager and authorised representative for a Kazakhstan industrial partner in a Horizon Europe project developing cleaner and safer technologies for extracting indium, germanium, niobium, and tantalum from complex ores. The project combines low-emission blasting, robotics, digital twins, biodiversity monitoring, and in-situ bioleaching. For Kazakhstan, the work is relevant to more sustainable mining, reduced environmental impact, improved CRM extraction efficiency, and stronger integration of Kazakh metallurgical expertise into European critical raw materials value chains.
2026-2029 | HORIZON Europe vanadium recovery and sustainable extraction project, submitted and under evaluation. Kazakhstan partner contribution in a Horizon Europe project focused on modular, low-impact extraction of vanadium from seawater, mining runoff, abandoned mines, and industrial waste streams. The project uses polymer-based adsorption, advanced filtration, and pilot-scale modular processing to recover vanadium for applications such as redox flow batteries and energy storage. For Kazakhstan, the work supports cleaner use of mining resources, valorisation of industrial streams, and stronger links between Kazakh CRM potential and European battery value chains.
2025 I GIZ Kazakhstan-Tajikistan Innovation Initiative, successfully completed. Innovation expert and programme coordinator supporting applied cooperation between Ust-Kamenogorsk and Dushanbe within German development cooperation frameworks.
2018–2022 I Erasmus+ CBHE MIETC, successfully completed. Programme coordination and innovation expertise for Kazakhstan-Tajikistan cooperation, focused on university research, training, technology commercialization, and cross-border knowledge exchange.
2023–2026 I Erasmus+ CBHE CirculEC, pending to complete working packages. Circular economy capacity building with 15 partner institutions across Central Asia and Europe, connecting higher education, industrial sustainability, and mining and metallurgical sectors.
> €3M
> €3M
overall budget of the projects participated in since 2023 from fundrising roles to project managers responsibilities.
+ 25 organizations across 12 countries
+ 25 organizations across 12 countries
with a strong network of contacts in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Portugal as well as in Spain.
Business cases
Business cases
# Authorized representative of leading Kazakh industrial companies in the search for strategic technology transfer, innovation cooperation, and funding opportunities. My focus is on building cross-border partnerships, accessing public and private financing, and turning industrial innovation needs into structured projects with clear commercial and operational value. Being designated to act under their name within the platform: https://energy-platform.ec.europa.eu/
# Assessment: In the CRM & REE sector, I help European companies assess delocalization and setup opportunities in Kazakhstan — from production sites to commercial entities. I turn complex relocation projects into clear business cases focused on cost, risk, compliance, and market access. My work also includes tracking mineral tailings and mine waste deposits, and potential exploration sites in coordination with local stakeholders on the sector. Mainly, I support clients in identifying practical opportunities and building a strategy that can be executed on the ground.
# Active engagement in international initiatives and strategic partnerships by collaboration across sectorial platforms focused on industrial innovation and sustainability. This includes participation in ad hoc consortia, particularly within Horizon Europe frameworks and also regular participation in EU–Central Asia conferences, brokerage events, and stakeholder initiatives related to critical raw materials (CRM) and rare earth elements (REE).
In these business cases, regular meetings with recognized financial institutions and policy makers are to be held particularly on CRM and REE research infrastructure, as well as investment projects in Kazakhstan.
Since information and networking is paramount in my field of work, a screening process applies, with an entry fee for my time. Upon confirming this initial payment you get a 50-minute slot to hold remote online meeting in order to provide an insight on analysis, diagnosis and prescription for truly committed potential partners.
Please note,once you complete our online order form with valid European Value-added tax (VAT) identification, legal name, service receiver address you will be issued a valid invoice from a paymaster within EU tax Law framework.
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