FROM OPEN-PIT MINING EQUIPMENT TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: MMCA AND KAZCOMAK 2026 TO BRING TOGETHER THE INDUSTRY’S LATEST TECHNOLOGIES

ONLY A FEW DAYS REMAIN UNTIL MINING AND METALS CENTRAL ASIA AND KAZCOMAK 2026 BEGIN. FROM SEPTEMBER 16 TO 18, ATAKENT WILL ONCE AGAIN BECOME A MAJOR MEETING POINT FOR THE MINING, METALLURGICAL, CONSTRUCTION AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING INDUSTRIES.

This year’s scale is truly impressive: 533 companies from 30 countries have already confirmed their participation, occupying Pavilions 8, 9, 10 and 11, as well as the outdoor exhibition area. National group stands will be presented by Austria, Germany, Canada, China, Russia and Finland. The geographical reach is as extensive as the exhibition itself: equipment, technologies, heavy machinery and solutions for the entire production chain – from extraction and processing to the integration of AI into the production cycle. The total exhibition area will exceed 20,000 sq. m, while around 150 units of heavy machinery and equipment will be displayed outdoors.

More Than Just Seeing – A Place for Discussion

The main discussions will take place in the Main Conference Hall in Pavilion 8. The programme will focus on the future of Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgical sector, critical minerals, new projects, investment, digitalisation, robotisation and, of course, artificial intelligence. The programme will open with the plenary session entitled “The Future of Kazakhstan’s Mining and Metallurgical Sector: Critical Minerals, Projects and New Growth Opportunities.” Participants will include representatives of the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines, Kazakh Invest, Kazakhmys Smelting, ERG, Qarmet, FLSmidth and other companies and organisations.

One of the programme’s main guests will be Dr Ali Soofastaei, an international expert in AI and digital transformation in the mining industry. This will be his first appearance in Kazakhstan. The AI Stage will focus not on artificial intelligence as something that may emerge “at some point in the future,” but on practical matters: how prepared companies are to adopt AI, how data can be transformed into solutions, and where digitalisation delivers genuinely measurable results.

Pavilion 8 will also feature the Podcast Zone – a space for professional dialogue with experts, speakers and exhibition participants. Visitors will be able to hear directly from industry representatives, discuss current issues, exchange views and talk about the developments that are genuinely transforming the mining and metallurgical sector today. A separate Canadian Group Workshop will showcase Canadian technologies and solutions for the global mining industry, alongside a seminar by CIDRA Minerals Processing Inc.

On September 17, the programme will continue with the GEOTECH FORUM. It will focus on the new architecture of Kazakhstan’s mining industry, investment and critical minerals, while a separate major session will address the transition from automation to intelligent management and robotisation. Experts from ContinuumOps, ERG, AG TECH, Metso, Borusan Cat Kazakhstan, Epiroc, Sandvik and HardDev are scheduled to take part in the discussion.

Pavilion 11: Technologies Without Lengthy Introductions

A dedicated Seminars Room will operate here, where companies will present their solutions and examine specific industry cases. The programme includes seminars by FLS, Epiroc, Sandvik and Normet, as well as a partner seminar by Composit entitled “Composit’s Project-Based Approach in the Mining Industry: From Challenges to Effective Solutions.”

And Negotiations Can Take Place… Over a Game

This year, MMCA will introduce a format never previously offered at the exhibition. For the first time, the Nartas Games and Negotiations Zone will open on the second floor of Pavilion 9.

Seven games, interactive activities and prizes every day will offer visitors an opportunity to take a short break after negotiations or, alternatively, continue networking in a completely informal setting. After all, a valuable business relationship sometimes begins not with an exchange of business cards, but with a relaxed conversation.

Another New Feature – Media.Iteca.Events

This season, your exhibition photos will quite literally find you. Simply upload a selfie when registering, and the service will use artificial intelligence to locate your photos among thousands of images taken at the exhibition.

Your personal gallery will be sent to your email and WhatsApp within minutes after the images have been processed. No more endless searching for yourself in a shared photo feed. As an added bonus, you will receive ready-made posters, captions and hashtags for social media.

The event is held with the official support of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Almaty City Akimat, the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Association of Mining and Metallurgical Enterprises (AMME).

The partners of Mining and Metals Central Asia 2026 are Altynarna Geosynthetics, Composit, Cummins, Melytec and Nartas.

The event is organised by Kazakhstan’s Iteca exhibition company together with its international partner, ICA Events Group of Companies.