For the first time in the Republic of Kazakhstan, a regional digital scientific and information network «ExSoil & Smart Agriculture» will be established to promote sustainable agriculture, preserve and restore soil health, and strengthen environmental and food security. The initiative is being implemented as part of a strategic international partnership between the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Institute of Soil Science at Leibniz University (Hanover, Germany), within the framework of the ExSoil project. The project is supported and funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space of Germany (BMFTR) for a period of three years.

The regional network of the «ExSoil & Smart Agriculture» digital platform will be gradually established and implemented across all regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Local executive authorities (akimats), research institutes, universities, civil society organisations and other regional partners are expected to be actively involved in the implementation process.

This approach will enable the formation of an integrated regional network focused on territorial development, education and the practical application of digital solutions in the agricultural sector

The platform will provide open access to research, analytical, and methodological data for agricultural producers and farmers, scientific and educational institutions, students, public authorities, and civil society organizations. It will serve as a unified digital environment for data sharing, learning and upskilling, consultation on current scientific developments and technologies, and digital research support for agricultural enterprises.

The project aims to establish a digital network of competence centers in soil health, agroecology, and sustainable agriculture, as well as to develop scientific, educational, and digital infrastructure that enables the integration of data, knowledge, best practices, and innovative technologies for comprehensive assessment and management of agroecosystems under climate and anthropogenic pressures.

The initiative will be gradually expanded to Central Asian countries and Mongolia as part of broader international scientific and technological cooperation. The Kazakhstan-German Center of the National Academy of Sciences will serve as the main coordinating and methodological hub, bringing together scientists from Germany, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia to implement modern scientific and technological solutions in agriculture.

The project creates a foundation for the development of a regional scientific, technological and digital hub in the Republic of Kazakhstan focused on sustainable agriculture, soil health and intelligent agrotechnologies. It will support the strengthening of the country’s scientific and expert capacity, facilitate the transfer of advanced international technologies, foster the development of domestic digital solutions, and improve the quality of strategic and investment planning in the agricultural sector.

Project implementation will enable the formation of an integrated regional cooperation space, bringing together Germany, Kazakhstan, the countries of Central Asia and Mongolia to jointly address key challenges of sustainable agricultural development. These challenges include the conservation and restoration of soil health, adaptation to climate change, prevention of land degradation and the development of carbon-saving agricultural technologies.

The establishment of a unified digital platform for knowledge, data and analytical tools will ensure harmonised approaches, comparability of indicators and coordination of scientific and applied programmes, while also creating conditions for joint decision-making aimed at strengthening regional food, environmental and climate resilience.

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For the first time in Kazakhstan, a regional digital scientific and information network "ExSoil & Smart Agriculture" will be established