A session of the General Assembly of the National Engineering Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NEA RK) — the flagship of the country’s engineering corps — was held in Almaty, reports DKNews.kz.

In 2015, the academy held the first-ever national “Best Engineer of 2015” competition. Over the past 10 years, more than 70 engineers from various regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan have been awarded the title of Best Engineer in the national competition.

In 2025, the competition acquired the status of the 10th Anniversary Competition and took on special significance during the Year of Blue-Collar Professions, declared by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The head of state emphasized: “It is engineers who are the heart of progress” and the key to the country’s technological sovereignty in the era of artificial intelligence.

The competition received 75 applications from outstanding professionals across all regions of Kazakhstan. Based on the competition committee’s deliberations, the 11 best engineers of 2025 have been selected — professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the implementation of the country’s major industrial and innovative projects.

The winners of the 10th anniversary Republican competition “Best Engineer – 2025,” as determined by the Presidium of the National Engineering Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the competition committee, are:

1. Georgy Mnatsakanov, Senior Design Engineer at Kazrost Engineering. He developed a unique, universal mounted mower for ZHNU-9 combines — a patented design, the only one of its kind, that allows for the harvesting of the entire range of agricultural crops with a 15–20% increase in efficiency. The design has been launched into mass production by Kazrost Engineering Ltd LLP, marking a technological breakthrough in Kazakhstan’s agro-industrial complex and significantly enhancing the country’s food security.

2. Alexander Borsuk, Head of the Production Department at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant. Author of 28 patents and 50 improvement proposals. He developed a new industrial technology for the ultrasonic decontamination of radioactive scrap metal, which has been implemented at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant. The technology reduced the radiation background by a factor of 8, increased the section’s productivity to 500 kg/day, and solved the strategic environmental challenge of the century, while simultaneously generating millions in additional profits for the enterprise and the country.

3. Mukhtar Eleuov, CEO and Design Engineer at Bes Saiman Group. The CEO and design engineer has 14 intellectual property assets to his credit, including a U.S. patent — he is the only active manufacturer among all 15 citizens of Kazakhstan whose inventions have received official recognition and protection in the United States.

4. Damir Zhansheev, Head of Design Bureau No. 1 at the West Kazakhstan Machine-Building Company. Author and chief designer of a full cycle of critical weapons systems adopted by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan under a state defense contract: serial production of 30-mm ammunition for the 2A42 and AK-306 cannons (for the first time, the country’s needs have been fully met and exports have begun); a new generation of 26-mm signal pistols for the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Navy; a swivel mount for pickup trucks and an automatic 12.7-mm belt-loading machine; modernization of the NSV-12.7 for NATO ammunition.

5. Chief Engineer of the “Institute of Space Engineering and Technologies” project, Sabyrzhan Zhumagali. Creator of unique technologies with no analogues in Kazakhstan or the CIS: a radio signal processing module, a hybrid intelligent satellite navigation system, a device to protect PCs from malware, and a new-generation electronic navigation seal. His developments significantly enhance the security of international cargo transportation, strengthen Kazakhstan’s position in the global logistics market, and propel the national space industry to the forefront.

6. Chief Designer of the “Gidropribor” Research Institute, Aidngali Zhinaleev. The chief designer equipped the boats “Bars,” “Aibar,” “Burkit,” and 3092 “Kazhimukan” with modern navigation and navigational equipment, communication systems, and also modernized the maneuverable basing facility.

7. Murat Balsikhov, Head of the Sector at the “Gidropribor” Research Institute. He developed a vertical takeoff UAV and a unique modular system for treating groundwater into drinking water. The system addresses two strategic challenges facing oil fields simultaneously: environmental monitoring and the provision of drinking water in the most remote regions. The development has been successfully implemented at JSC “Research Institute ‘Gidropribor’” and is already yielding tangible economic and social benefits.

8. Ramis Zaripov, Development Engineer at Toraigyrov University. Creator of Kazakhstan’s first eco-friendly pontoon-based water treatment complex, powered exclusively by solar energy. Two patents have been obtained, and a full-scale prototype has been built and successfully tested. The engineer’s project is fully aligned with the “Taza Kazakhstan” National Project.

9. Nurzhan Zikiryaev, Deputy Head of the Department of Fundamentals of Military Radio Engineering and Electronics, design engineer, and developer at the Military Engineering Institute of Radio Electronics and Communications. Author of three new world-class defense systems that have no analogues and are already in service:

1) Development and implementation of an optoelectronic device to enhance visibility. A night vision module for military vehicles has been created and put into serial production.

2) Implementation of software-defined radio (SDR) technologies. One of the first in the Russian Armed Forces to implement SDR. Author of the textbook and course “Fundamentals of SDR” for cadets of all specialties.

3) Expansion of the UAV weapons inventory. Performed calculations and modernized the Wing Loong-1 UAV’s suspension systems to accommodate new weapons.

10. Manager and Economist at Turan University, Maksat Kikimov. Created and implemented key SME support programs: “Zhibek Zholy,” “Almaty-Onim,” “Almaty-Innovation,” and “Almaty-Tourism,” which ensured access to microcredit, growth in local production, increased Almaty’s investment attractiveness, and the sustainable development of the city’s economy.

11. Abay Omarov, Senior Researcher and Technologist at the Institute of High Technologies. Developer of a number of unique geotechnological and environmental solutions aimed at improving the efficiency of all processes. Participant and designer of a groundbreaking combined mobile unit for uranium mining in extremely challenging geological conditions.