The concluding fourth session of the International Conference and Exhibition CIET 2025 in Avaza focused on “The Importance of Integrating Modern Innovative Technologies in the Construction, Industrial, Chemical, and Energy Sectors, and Developing a Skilled Young Workforce.” Participants discussed strategic approaches to digitalization, “green” technologies, and integrating education with production. Speakers — representatives of ministries and leading universities — shared projects on energy efficiency, digital solutions, and scientific developments, emphasizing the role of youth in sustainable development.
Energy Sector: From Combined Cycles to Renewables
Serdar Saparov, Deputy Minister of Energy of Turkmenistan, outlined priorities: introducing innovations for efficient and eco-friendly electricity production. The key focus is on combined-cycle power plants, where exhaust gases are used for additional generation on steam turbine units without consuming natural gas. This reduces emissions, saves resources, and creates jobs.
A 1,574 MW combined-cycle plant project is currently underway on the Caspian Sea coast. It will boost the energy system’s capacity, improve domestic supply, and expand exports to the Caucasus and Turkey.
Saparov highlighted the link between innovations and workforce training. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) on renewables under the regional project “Renewable Energy Sources in Central Asia.” The European Union awarded the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan (SEIT) “Green Certificates” for energy efficiency and renewable integration. Eco-friendly facilities were built on SEIT’s campus: solar panels on the dormitory, a wind and solar power station, turning the institute into a demonstration platform for sustainable energy.
Construction and Architecture: Digital Twins and VR Technologies
Batyr Mamedov, Rector of the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction (TSIAC), presented IT integration in education. The institute combines architecture, construction, IT, cybersecurity, materials science, and design. New programs are planned: Smart Home Designer and Virtual Designer, based on IoT, AI, digital twins, and VR/AR workshops to train specialists for smart buildings and green industries.
Students work with data from the innovative city of Arkadag: developing smart building solutions, telemetry, dispatching, and predictive analytics. VR/AR models construction sites, safety scenarios, and emergencies, accelerating training without risks.
Under faculty guidance, students build unmanned all-terrain platforms with manipulators (mechatronics, computer vision, SLAM navigation), 3D printers, and laser engravers — from CAD design to pilot operation.
International cooperation formats proposed:
- Industry Sandbox — rapid testing and piloting of digital solutions, including digital twins, monitoring systems, and analytics platforms for construction, energy, and industrial facilities.
- Skills Upgrade 6+6 — six weeks of intensive training in data analytics, AI/ML, cybersecurity, standardization, and digital ecosystems, plus six weeks of internships at partner enterprises.
- Cooperation Tracks (Light/Standard/Strategic) — a three-tier partnership system, from guest lectures, academic exchanges, and expert seminars (Light level) to joint research labs, engineering centers, and dual-degree programs (Strategic level).
Energy Education: Research and Patents
Serdar Nazarov, Rector of the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan (SEIT, founded 1997; new complex opened 2010), emphasized training specialists in 29 fields (19 specialist degrees, 10 bachelor’s) across 6 faculties and 19 departments. The institute includes the Renewable Energy Research and Production Center, Energy-Saving Technologies Center, IT-Light, a retraining faculty, and a language center. Student numbers and specialties are set to grow annually.
SEIT trains experts in electric and thermal power, mechanical engineering, economics, electronics, communications, and information security. Faculty and Renewable Energy Center specialists research renewable reserves, energy for remote areas, hydrogen production, and microalgae from drainage water. Solar station projects were developed for distant settlements. Students and young lecturers secured 50 software patents, some implemented in production.
Oil and Gas: Innovations and Hydrogen Energy
Bayramyrat Atamanov, Rector of the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas (7 faculties, 32 departments, 10 fields; >6,000 students, >500 faculty), reported on implemented developments. A hydraulic device for expelling air from drill pipes and a pneumatic water-jet washing unit were successfully tested at the Galkynysh gas field.
R&D is underway for rapid sulfate-ion detection at the Baherden cement plant. Heat-resistant cement slurries and quartz flour were developed using domestic raw materials.
The university’s Hydrogen Energy Center has assembled a lab setup for water electrolysis to produce hydrogen fuel. Scientists pioneered a plasma-chemical unit converting natural gas into hydrogen and technical carbon.
Telecommunications and IT: Digitizing Industries
Nurnepes Kuliyev, Rector of the Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics of Turkmenistan, described research in ICT and computer technologies. Software is deployed in enterprises via the “Digital Solutions – IT Platform” economic society and “Zehin” training center, both institute-based.
Institute’s digital projects cover agriculture, transport, communications, and textiles. The institute contributed to the “Land Cadastre” system for the Ministry of Agriculture. The “Bilim”, “School System”, and “Personal Account” management systems, plus others by students and faculty, received state patents and certificates.
In 2023, a cooperation agreement was signed with the Ashgabat Textile Complex, which uses digitally controlled looms. A textbook, “Equipment and Mechanisms of the Weaving Complex,” was prepared for such looms, along with a digital system for selecting spare parts. A new agreement extends collaboration into 2025.
Session Outcomes
The fourth session of CIET 2025 underscored: innovations are key to diversifying Turkmenistan’s economy. From combined cycles and hydrogen in energy to VR in construction and AI in oil and gas — universities are training youth for real-world challenges. International partnerships (GIZ, EU, Germany) and pilot projects strengthen sectoral sustainability, driving the transition to a green and digital economy. ///nCa, 4 November 2025 (photo credit – THP)