Priority sectors
Metallurgical and mining industry
On the territory of the region there are reserves of ores widely
used in metallurgy - chromium, nickel, titanium, zinc, copper, aluminum.
It is worth noting that since 2021, metal prices have shown a positive trend, which may stimulate the flow of investment into the industry.
Of all the ores mined in the region, chromium is mainly used in the production of alloys. Most of the chromium ore produced at the Donskoy Mining and Processing Plant, which is part of the TNC Kazchrome group, is sent to the group's ferroalloy plants in Aksu (Pavlodar region) and Aqtobe, and the rest is exported.
The region also produces refined copper, provides casting services, but 99% of all metallurgical products are ferroalloys, namely ferrochrome - an alloy of iron and chromium.
Metal prices are closely related to the industrial development of China, since more than 50% of world imports of metal ores and concentrates come from this country. Due to the increased debt burden of China and the slowdown in the construction sector in 2020, the demand for metals has slowed down due to the global impact. Since 2021, there has been a recovery in demand for base metals.
According to forecast data, the average industrial growth rate in Kazakhstan for 2022-2024 will be will be 2.7%, while the average growth rate of metallurgy will outstrip the growth of industry by 2 times and will amount to 5.4%. The growth of the industry is associated with the predicted stabilization of prices for base metals, the development of the oil and gas sector and, as a result, an increase in demand for metal pipes.
In the near future, further growth in the production of metallurgical products in Kazakhstan and in particular in the Aqtobe region is forecasted due to growing global demand.
Attractive niches
Chemical and oil industry
The oil and gas industry makes up a significant share of the industry in the Aqtobe region.
According to JSC NC KazMunayGas, 5.6% of all hydrocarbon resources of Kazakhstan are located in the Aqtobe region. About 25 oil and gas fields have been discovered in the region, and the largest are Zhanazhol, Kenkiyak and Northern Truva.
A feature of the oil basins of the Aqtobe region is the uniqueness of their geological structures: the presence of supra-salt and sub-salt structures. At the same time, subsalt structures are not deep as in Atyrau and Mangistau regions.
Large investments in refining, expansion of production at major fields, application of new technologies in drilling, including horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing using proppant, and access to the Chinese market can ensure the growth of the industry.
Attractive niches
Power generation
The volume of investments in electricity supply shows stable dynamics year after year.
A significant share of electricity in the country is produced by thermal and coal-fired gas turbine power plants (88.7%), while in the Aqtobe region, Gas is the main raw material for generating electricity. Renewable sources energy account for 1.5% of the total electricity production in Kazakhstan. RES require high investment costs and cannot compete with cheaper fuel.
Further development of the country's economy requires additional production volumes electricity in energy-deficient regions, including the Aqtobe region.
Aqtobe region is traditionally an industrialized region. In connection with the absence of large electricity producers in the region at the moment the region is energy deficient.
There are four power plants operating on gas in the Aqtobe region. However, it's worth note that three out of four power plants operate to meet their own needs. productive needs of enterprises. Due to large reserves of both associated and main gas, the region pays great attention to the construction of power plants working on gas.
Attractive niches
Construction and production of building materials
Further growth in construction volumes and, accordingly, demand for building materials is expected. The main growth drivers will be the favorable demographic situation in the region and the implementation of housing programs.
The number of young families is also growing. In order to support the population and affordability of housing, the state is developing a number of housing/mortgage programs.
To increase production volumes and promote exports in the building materials sector, the Akimat of Aqtobe region and the National Company Kazakh Invest are working to attract investment. It is planned that in the near future the region will meet the internal needs of the market by 100%.
Agriculture
Agriculture is one of the main sectors of the economy of the Aqtobe region.
Agriculture is included in the list of priority activities for the implementation of investment projects in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In recent years, the region has seen a significant increase in investment in fixed assets in agriculture, which reflects the high attractiveness of this industry for investors.
The region's agriculture is mostly livestock oriented.
Wheat is the main crop grown in the region.
In the near future, further growth in agricultural production is predicted in
Kazakhstan and in particular in the Aqtobe region due to the growing global demand for agricultural products.
Food industry
Agriculture is one of the main sectors of the economy of the Aqtobe region.
Population growth
Population growth will ensure a stable growth in demand for food products in the medium term. Long-term population growth projections are also positive for both Kazakhstan and the region.
Governmental support
The government is actively pursuing a policy of diversifying the economy and reducing dependence on the production of extractive industry products. In this connection, the state provides significant support to the development of the manufacturing industry and, in particular, the food industry.
Growth in agricultural production
Gross agricultural output growth in Kazakhstan and the Aqtobe region will provide the food industry with sufficient raw materials to meet the demand for food and beverages.
Pharmaceutical industry
The announcement of the coronavirus pandemic and its first wave, which broke out in Kazakhstan last summer, had a significant impact on the overall picture of the domestic pharmaceutical market. Thus, according to the international analytical company IQVIA, the value of the Kazakhstani pharmaceutical market, taking into account retail sales and purchases for the guaranteed volume of medical care for the first 11 months of 2020, increased by 22% compared to the same period of the previous year. At the same time, the volume of sales of pharmaceutical products in the retail segment increased by 18%.
The main factors behind the positive dynamics of the market in 2020 were a sharp increase in demand for medicines, an increase in their cost and the emergence of new drugs. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many new drugs have appeared on the market that have helped in the prevention and control of the effects of coronavirus. In normal times, new drugs appear on the market for a long time, but in a pandemic, the timeframe has been significantly reduced, which has affected the cost of medicines.
If in 2019 the share of domestic manufacturers in monetary terms was 14%, then by the end of 2020 this figure increased to 16% of the total pharmaceutical market of the Republic of Kazakhstan. There is an increase in the production of OTP by 39% in value terms compared to 2019 (growth in the budget segment by 48%, retail - 28%).
At the end of 2019, in the world ranking of countries - exporters of pharmaceutical products (https://www.worldstopexports.com), Kazakhstan took 72nd place out of 116 countries, which indicates a low export orientation of domestic manufacturers. Nevertheless, thanks to the active policy of the state to support entrepreneurial initiatives in the production of medicines, there has been an increase in volumes from local manufacturers, where about 70% of all products are sold through the state channel.The state guarantee for the produced volume allows OTP to expand its production and develop new markets. This is evidenced by the increase in the average volume of exports over the past 5 years, which amounted to more than 34 million US dollars, where 80% of exports are accounted for by the Russian Federation.
In general, at the end of 2020, pharmaceuticals (47%), along with the construction (+11.2%) and manufacturing (+3.9%) industries, the growth of which was ensured by the automotive industry (52%), became one of the main drivers of economic growth in Kazakhstan. ,5%). At the same time, the share of the pharmaceutical industry in GDP amounted to 0.45%.
The number of items purchased from a single distributor increased from 804 items in 2010 to 1,439 items in 2021, an increase of 1.8 times. According to the results of procurement procedures in the current year, the first place in terms of share in the total volume of purchases fell on domestic products, on the second - German products.