DIATOMITE CONSTRUCTION GROUP: Integration of Science and Industry in Sustainable Construction
Satbayev University is participating in the implementation of the DIATOMITE CONSTRUCTION GROUP scientific and technological project, aimed at the creation and industrial introduction of next-generation construction materials based on the processing of industrial waste. The project is implemented within the framework of the scientific and technical program "Integrated Development of the Sustainable Construction Sector: Innovative Technologies, Production Optimization, Efficient Use of Resources and Creation of a Technology Park" and is oriented toward the formation of an ecologically sustainable and resource-efficient model of production. Its goals directly correspond to the tasks of sustainable development, including SDG 4 (Quality education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
The project is based on the developments of the university's scientists in the fields of chemical technologies, nanomaterials, and industrial ecology. The key solution was the creation of dry construction mixes using up to 95% domestic raw materials, including natural diatomite, as well as up to 50% technogenic mineral waste. This approach ensures a reduction in the environmental burden, the efficient use of resources, and an increase in the competitiveness of the products on the market.
For Satbayev University, participation in the project means the realization of a full innovation cycle model — from scientific research to industrial production. The project brings together university science, the educational process, and the real sector of the economy, ensuring the training of specialists, the involvement of master's and doctoral students in applied research, and the development of entrepreneurial initiatives.
The key result was the creation in Almaty of a modern automated plant for the production of dry construction mixes. The production capacity of the enterprise reaches up to 100 tonnes of output per shift, with the capability to produce up to 19 types of construction materials. The project also provides for the creation of jobs, the development of import substitution, and the formation of a sustainable industrial ecosystem.
An important part of the initiative is the development of TECHNOPARK STROYTECH as a platform for scientific research, personnel training, and the scaling of technologies. Spin-off companies have already been established, contracts with industrial partners have been concluded, and the introduction of developments into the construction sector has been ensured.
Thus, the DIATOMITE CONSTRUCTION GROUP plant demonstrates the practical realization of the principles of sustainable development through the integration of science, education, and production. It forms new standards of ecologically responsible construction, contributes to the development of the circular economy, and strengthens the role of Satbayev University as a center of technological innovation and industrial development in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.