At the direct request of Kazakhstan’s President and one of the country’s leading business figures, we undertook a comprehensive assessment of national competitiveness. The project, conducted in collaboration with JE Austin and CMAR, the government’s primary economic think tank, resulted in an actionable policy agenda that addressed industrial strategy, diversification, and long-term competitiveness goals. Our recommendations laid the foundation for a national cluster program and informed major policy reforms. While Kazakhstan experienced an economic boom fueled by high oil prices shortly thereafter, the global financial crisis underscored the urgency of the diversification measures we had proposed.
