In February, Russia held its first 3D printing expo, titled the 3D Print Expo. After the success of the event, the 3D Print Expo organizers are taking the show on the road to neighbouring Kazakhstan, where the country will get a taste of the 3D printing boom.
On May 29, 3D Print Expo will head to Almaty, the only city in Kazakhstan with a population of over one million people, to demonstrate the power of 3D printing and scanning. Attendees will be treated to a range of information and live demonstrations, including a series of workshops in which participants will be provided with hands-on opportunities to interact with 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies. The expo promises information on the current state and possible future of the technologies, as well as a range of ways that 3D printing and scanning can aid business owners. In addition to the applications 3D printing in various fields, ideas for investment opportunities and potential earning opportunities will also be explored at the event.
The full line-up of speakers and exhibitors is still being established, which means that it’s not too late for representatives of local businesses to get a spot on the floor or lecture list. Early bird tickets are currently on sale for 8,000 Rubles (about $225). Now’s your chance to take part in the blossoming of 3D printing technology in the Eurasian region, evidenced by the expansion of 3D Print Expo.
Some may be surprised that a Russian expo is making its way to Kazakhstan. As a citizen of the US, and a victim of its public education system, I know almost nothing about the country. So, for others like me, here are a few facts about Kazakhstan that you may not have been aware of, courtesy of Wikipedia:
- Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country by land area and the ninth largest country in the world; its territory of 2,727,300 square kilometres (1,053,000 sq mi) is larger than Western Europe.
- Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age: the region’s climate and terrain are best suited for nomads practicing pastoralism. Archaeologists believe that humans first domesticated the horse in the region’s vast steppes.
- Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991; the current President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has been leader of the country since 1990.
- Kazakhstan sent 49 military engineers to Iraq to assist the US post-invasion mission in Iraq. During the second Iraq War, Kazakhstani troops dismantled 4 million mines and other explosives, helped provide medical care to more than 5,000 coalition members and civilians and purified 718 cubic metres (25,356 cu ft) of water.
- The Kazakh Steppe (plain), with an area of around 804,500 square kilometres (310,600 sq mi), occupies one-third of the country and is the world’s largest dry steppe region.
- Buoyed by high world crude oil prices, GDP growth figures were comprised between 8.9% and 13.5% from 2000 to 2007 before decreasing to 1–3% in 2008 and 2009, and then rising again from 2010.Other major exports of Kazakhstan include wheat, textiles, and livestock. Kazakhstan predicted that it would become a leading exporter of uranium by 2010, which has indeed come true.
- Islam is the largest religion in Kazakhstan, followed by Russian Orthodox Christianity.
- Kazakhstan is officially a bilingual country: Kazakh, a Turkic language spoken natively by 64.4% of the population, has the status of the “state” language, while Russian, which is spoken by most Kazakhstanis, is declared the “official” language, and is used routinely in business, government, and inter-ethnic communication, although Kazakh is slowly replacing that.
- Forum 18, the Oslo-based religious-rights organization, reported in 2005 that Jehovah’s Witnesses, Protestant groups and Hare Krishna followers, as well as Islamic groups not controlled by the state, have been targets of state hostility.
- According to a US government report issued in March 2007, in Kazakhstan “…Corruption was evident at every stage and level of the judicial process. Although judges were among the most highly paid government employees, lawyers and human rights monitors alleged that judges, procurators, and other officials solicited bribes in exchange for favorable rulings in the majority of criminal cases.”
- Political expression was reported to be restricted in Kazakhstan in the months leading up to presidential elections in December 2005, according to observers, including Human Rights Watch and Freedom House.
Sorry, I got a bit carried away. Like all countries, Kazakhstan has a rich and complicated history and present and I encourage you all to continue reading about it! Especially if you plan to attend the conference this May.
Source: 3D Print Expo
