ASTANA – A Portuguese artificial intelligence company is seeking opportunities to bring its disaster prevention technology to Kazakhstan, starting with a pilot project that could help authorities anticipate wildfires, floods and other emergencies before they escalate.
Nelson Fernandes. Photo credit: The Astana Times Nelson Fernandes, a commissioner at the European Economic Chamber (EEIG) and a Portuguese strategy and marketing specialist, said Kazakhstan’s ambition to develop its own solutions and its growing technology sector made it an attractive partner.
He spoke in an interview with The Astana Times ahead of his participation in the Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable (KGIR) in Shymkent. “My first interest came before this trend that everyone is coming here, especially to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan,” Fernandes said, explaining that his company, Kiangle.AI, deliberately looks for markets outside the usual investment destinations where it can develop partnerships and create mutual value.
From detecting disasters to preventing them Kiangle.AI has developed a platform initially designed to manage forest wildfires. Unlike conventional early-warning systems that often rely on cameras, patrols and emergency services to detect fires after they start, the technology uses ground sensors to monitor environmental changes, including humidity and wind speed.
Nelson Fernandes speaks with The Astana Times reporter Dana Omirgazy. Photo credit: The Astana Times The data is shared in real time with decision-makers, helping emergency teams coordinate their response and simulate the potential consequences of different actions.
The platform is also expanding beyond fire prevention. By combining environmental monitoring with simulation tools, it can help assess how changes in animal populations, soil conditions and weather patterns could affect ecosystems and the risks of future disasters.
“We can actually do something about it before you have a problem, preemptively,” Fernandes said. The company is also exploring applications for flood management, a relevant area for Kazakhstan following devastating floods in recent years. Fernandes said the platform incorporates insights from the human sciences to help forecast human behavior and improve emergency planning.
This includes accounting for people with disabilities or temporary mobility limitations who may require additional assistance during evacuations.