Uzbek and Turkmen Pavilions at Expo 2017 in Kazakhstan: Pave way for 'New Energy' Revolution for a Global Impact

The energy comes forth at Astana Expo in two forms. One is the realisation that dependence on oil and hydrocarbons is just not fashionable anymore! This is championed in Kazakhstan's effort to get the nations of the World to rethink their energy production, transmission, storage and consumption strategies in a comprehensive way.

The second is another equally notable development. For more than two decades Western analysts have been busy predicting implosion, collapse and a dire future for the Central Asia Region. Indeed, being landlocked it has challenges and simplistic economic thinking could set one against the other and/or create a regional hegemon. However, acting together the countries in the region can make an impact globally, as each country brings something more nuanced to the table. In the pictures above, one can see how Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have impressively and thoughtfully presented themselves in line with the vision of the Expo. This is also visible in the Kyrgyz and Tajik pavilions. Put together the region offers an alternative vision for the future. They are examples which fly in the face of a stereotyped orientalised narrative of countries in Central Asia and recall a much richer tapestry of the historical significance of this ever vibrant region to help overcome the prevalent stigmatic narrative of the region. The Silk Road, in particular, which traditionally signifies this region has unfortunately lent itself to defining and placing Eurasia and Central Asia merely as a thoroughfare for goods passing from the East to the West.

However recognition of Eurasia as a producer of ideas, peoples and goods often gets left out especially in the Western imagination. In reality, the Silk Road has always been a place for manufacturing and has contributed to scientific, artistic and cultural breakthroughs of global significance. This has been largely omitted from the international discourse creating a passive image of the east. Be it the algorithm of Al Khwarizmi or the Metallurgical technologies like Damascus Steel - we can trace the origin of many technologies, their development and sustainability to Central Asia and Central Asians. Fortunately, the modern manifestation of this can be witnessed by the drawing in power of Expo 2017. This region, variously referred to as Central Asia, Eurasia or the heart of the Silk Road, contains key global solutions for the future also. So what does lie in its future? And what is in it for the rest of us? Energy is one critical pixel of this picture of current regional developments, and I am not talking about pipelines and oil and gas deals alone.

Over the last 25 years, understandably, regional ties had become secondary to the more urgent national needs after the Soviet collapse. But, the new trend in regional cooperation is hugely visible in an impetus to open up borders and establish cultural, trade and tourism links. These moves by each country represent an effort not only to connect to each other, but also to reach out globally. The Expo is a good example of this. Underneath this synergy lies a much greater potential. An earnest possibility to kick-start the much needed post-silicon energy efficiency paradigm for the world. Here lies an era of energy efficiency at the core of all technology, not only in production of solar, wind, water or nuclear energy.

One needs to look beyond the economic formulas prevalent today and understand the supply chain and value chain from a scientific and technical perspective – not the economic perspective alone. We need to go beyond the extractive industry dimension and pay attention to technologies which can be derived and produced from the natural wealth of these countries. They have vast reserves of minerals and metals but they also have hydrocarbon downstream products like polymers which are needed to drive a new era of electronics, refrigeration and energy-storage which underpin all other areas of technology. 

The kind of technologies which are envisaged include rare-earth based computer memories and information transport (e.g. components and fully integrated chips for quantum computation and memory storage), multifunctional composites (these can act as both batteries for energy storage and process sunlight for energy production), magnetic refrigeration (i.e. the manipulation of quantum spins can produce refrigeration that no longer requires cumbersome compressors or use of environmentally damaging gases such as CFCs. Such technologies have the potential to power our computers, keep our food fresh and run healthcare diagnostics. This also applies to large scale logistics where High-Temperature Superconductivity (for dissipation-less transmission of electricity and production of magnets for Maglev High Speed trains as well as plasma confinement reactors for energy production) to mention a few applications which could have huge impact globally.

While Western technology giants have identified the potential and taken early risks in establishing the basis of such technologies, they do not have either the raw-materials or human-capital to scale up production for wider use.

Furthermore, traditional global production chains are too deeply entrenched and invested in ‘classical-technologies’ and will find it stifling to disrupt the current production. Thus the new era breakthroughs like Quantum Technologies will need champions with the right makeup of courage, skills and resources to engender change. Most importantly, no one single player will be able to carry this forward making the Eurasian platform a low entry barrier with a promise of a fast uptake.

As a fundamental step to gain a new 'Energy' momentum, there is an urgent need for an increased capacity for science, engineering and innovation (in this order, not the other way around as it is spuriously understood now). To achieve this, major investment is needed to renew and rejuvenate science and research infrastructure in the region, and increase capability to diffuse knowledge and experience through collective learning and networking systems in the region and with partners beyond.

It is imperative to communicate this to both the governments and the entrepreneurial business communities across the region and relink the 'Knowledge Economy' of the region. The danger lies in the current trend of Ministries in the region to overwhelmingly focus on IT startups and small scale technology transfer projects to look savvy in front of numerous media walls, while the major opportunity for an industrial revolution continues to lie in waiting.

Together with Eurasian National University in Astana, first steps towards this are being taken to launch such a project soon! The picture above from the Expo Pavilion could become a good view looking out of a new high-tech lab's window. A lab that would create a new economy of the future! Here are some of the preparations for just such a lab in motion below: