Abstract
Kazakhstan has increased innovation spending, but the conversion of innovative outputs into sales and exports remains uneven across sectors. This study examines how spending composition, collaboration pathways, financing structure, and reported market barriers shape innovation commercialization. Using official 2024 enterprise innovation statistics, we analyse sectoral commercialization rates, export intensity, R&D and equipment/software shares, innovation pathways, funding flows, barriers, and firm-size patterns. The results reveal two commercialization frontiers. Knowledge-intensive sectors, including information and communication, scientific R&D, higher education, and professional scientific services, achieve stronger outcomes when innovation spending is R&D-oriented. Adoption-intensive sectors, especially manufacturing, mining, trade, and agriculture, are commercialized mainly through equipment acquisition, external knowledge, and engineering upgrading. Collaboration matters, but joint and external pathways require clear governance and intellectual-property arrangements to avoid coordination frictions. Financing is also segmented: private funds and bank loans mainly support equipment/software, whereas public and development-institute funds are more R&D-oriented. Weak demand and limited internal finance remain major barriers. The findings indicate that Kazakhstan needs differentiated sectoral policies that improve R&D quality, adoption capability, collaboration governance, and last-mile commercialization support.