Revolutionizing the Future of Urban Development: CEinCI Project Sets New Standard for Circular Economy in Kazakhstan’s Construction Industry

A team of scientists from Nazarbayev University, led by Professor Ferhat Karaca, has announced the completion of a large-scale three-year project titled CEinCI (Circular Economy Indexing in Construction Industry Using Big Data and AI). The project, funded by the Nazarbayev Fund, establishes new standards for sustainable development in Kazakhstan’s construction industry through the use of big data and artificial intelligence.

The construction sector is one of the largest consumers of resources and sources of waste globally. The CEinCI project offers an innovative solution by using high-resolution satellite imagery and machine learning algorithms to monitor construction sites and assess their compliance with circular economy principles.

Key achievements and contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
The project created a unique dataset, MC-CSD, including more than 42,000 annotated objects from 34 cities worldwide. This is the first database of its kind enabling AI-based automation of construction monitoring, contributing to technological advancement in the engineering sector.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
The developed DL-SLICER system allows urban authorities to analyze construction dynamics and improve urban planning. A GIS-based model was also developed to assess road accessibility after earthquakes (using Turkey as a case study), which is critically important for megacities such as Almaty.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
The research identified construction waste management strategies capable of achieving up to 95% recycling efficiency. The researchers formalized the “10R” hierarchy principles (refuse, reuse, recycle, etc.), creating a roadmap for minimizing construction waste in Kazakhstan.

SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
The project contributed to academic capacity building by supporting the training of 5 PhD doctoral students and 6 master’s students. The research involved 96 co-authors from 20 countries, strengthening international scientific collaboration.

Expert statement

“The CEinCI project is not just a scientific study; it is a practical tool for transforming cities in Kazakhstan,” said project leader Professor Ferhat Karaca. “We combined the power of big data with environmental priorities to create a foundation for green construction that will serve future generations.”

About the CEinCI project

The “Circular Economy Indexing in the Construction Industry Using Big Data and AI” project aims to develop digital tools for the transition toward sustainable construction. The outcomes include a series of publications in leading international scientific journals (Q1/Top-10) and the development of a methodology ready for implementation in public planning and industry practice.