The kick-off event for the collaborative research project, Circular Economy Indexing in the Construction Industry Using Big Data and AI, took place on April 8th, 2023, in the C4 Research Building at Nazarbayev University. The inaugural meeting was attended by over 20 individuals, including Principal Investigators (PIs), researchers, and other associates. The meeting began with a warm welcome and opening remarks, followed by presentations from the PIs and project team members highlighting various aspects of the project. Prof. Ferhat Karaca, the lead PI, presented the project concept, timeline, and milestones, while Prof. Atakan Varol (Founding Director of ISSAI) and Prof. Assel Akzhalova from Kazakh-British University provided insights into the AI and deep learning aspects of the project. Prof. Zhanna Kapsalyamova from the Department of Economics discussed the cost-benefit analysis of the circular economy and the economic perspectives of the project.
The presentations during the meeting were a significant highlight, showcasing the diverse research areas covered by the project team. These presentations included AI-based city similarity and sustainability indexing research by ISSAI data scientist Ulzhan Bissarinova, the status of annotation works with QA/QC by Artyom Lukyenanko, stakeholder-based cost and benefit assessment of CE implementation strategies related to construction materials by Aidana Tlueken, CGE (Computable General Equilibrium) modeling for CE implementation in CS by Sandugash Juatova, and AI-driven measurement of urban resilience to earthquakes by Marzhan Kabdrakhmanova. These presentations provided a comprehensive overview of the cutting-edge research being conducted in the CEinCS project, demonstrating the project’s depth and potential impact on the construction industry.
The meeting concluded with a vibrant discussion and Q&A session, where PIs and other attendees actively engaged in conversations, exchanging ideas, and providing valuable feedback. Prof. Ferhat Karaca delivered closing remarks, presenting his Circular Economy Framework Concept for construction job site management and design, future directions, and the project’s next steps. Overall, the kick-off meeting was a resounding success, setting the stage for a promising research journey ahead. The research findings and innovations emerging from the CEinCS project are expected to significantly contribute to the circular economy and construction industry in Kazakhstan and beyond, with implications for sustainability, resilience, and efficiency in the built environment.