Astana's Nauryz festival debuts self-driving cars in Smart City push
Astana's Nauryz celebrations this year featured a self-driving car demonstration as part of the new Digital Nauryz concept. The event highlighted how artificial intelligence could soon shape the city's transport systems. Organisers included Kazakhstan's Ministry of Digital Development and the local city administration, alongside innovation partners.
The autonomous vehicle was presented by the Lu Ban Workshop at D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University. During the demonstration, it navigated urban conditions, processed real-time data, and interacted with Smart City infrastructure. Officials emphasised that similar technologies could soon be rolled out across Astana, from intelligent transport networks to driverless taxis.
Before this year's festival, Astana had already tested autonomous mobility projects. Since 2022, Yandex's self-driving shuttles have operated on the Expo site and in the city centre under the *Digital Astana* programme. Partnerships with Astana Innovations have also explored AV tech for public transport. The demonstration aligned with the city's push to integrate AI into daily life. Authorities suggested that these trials could pave the way for wider adoption in urban planning and services.
The self-driving car showcase marked another step in Astana's Smart City ambitions. With ongoing pilot schemes and institutional backing, autonomous transport may soon become part of the city's infrastructure. Further developments will depend on testing results and regulatory approvals.
