BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. As Uzbekistan
prepares to host International ICT Week on September 22–25, the
country’s recent agreements with South Korean and European
technology institutions highlight a broader transformation of its
digital policy under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev — from expanding
digital government and IT services toward building an artificial
intelligence ecosystem.
Digitalization has become a central element of Uzbekistan’s
economic reform agenda under Mirziyoyev. The country’s
Uzbekistan–2030 Strategy sets a target of increasing IT services
and software exports to $5 billion, creating employment for 300,000
young people in the sector and placing Uzbekistan among the world’s
top 30 countries in the UN E-Government Development Index.
The policy has increasingly shifted toward artificial
intelligence. In October 2024, Uzbekistan adopted its Strategy for
the Development of Artificial Intelligence Technologies until 2030,
establishing a framework for expanding AI infrastructure, products
and human resources.
By August 2026, Mirziyoyev had set further targets for the
sector, including increasing the value of AI-based software
products and services to $1.5 billion, implementing more than 200
new AI projects and expanding computing infrastructure. Uzbekistan
also aims to enter the top 50 countries in the global AI Readiness
Index, having risen 25 positions to 62nd.
At the first Central Asia–South Korea summit, Mirziyoyev
highlighted the human-capital dimension of the transformation,
saying:
“We are facing growing demand for engineering, technological and
digital specialists. It is fundamentally important for us that the
younger generation becomes part of the modern technological
economy, gaining access to advanced knowledge, skills and
international experience.”
The president also linked the development of human capital
directly to AI, saying:
“The role of our youth is particularly important in the joint
development and implementation of artificial intelligence, as well
as in creating an integrated technological base and competencies in
the region.”
This policy direction is increasingly visible in the country’s
international technology partnerships.
From digitalization to AI infrastructure
The planned AI Data Hub is emerging as one of the key elements
of this transition. Uzbekistan and South Korea’s National
Information Society Agency (NIA) recently discussed cooperation on
the platform, including the preparation of datasets for training AI
models, data infrastructure and digital public services.
The discussions are significant because they focus on the
foundations of AI development rather than only its applications.
NIA provided around 1.18 billion units of public data through its
AI Hub platform in 2025, offering Uzbekistan an example of how
large-scale data infrastructure can support AI development.
Uzbekistan is also examining the computing infrastructure
required to support AI projects. During recent talks with South
Korean telecommunications and digital company KT Corp., officials
discussed the possibility of establishing specialized AI data
centers, developing computing capacity and conducting joint AI
research and development.
The focus on infrastructure is also reflected in Uzbekistan’s
domestic plans. In May 2026, Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals to
expand data-center capacity and AI infrastructure, while plans also
include developing AI laboratories and a computing center equipped
with 200 GPUs.
Building an international startup ecosystem
Another increasingly visible part of Uzbekistan’s strategy is
the internationalization of its technology startups.
IT Park Uzbekistan has recently expanded cooperation with South
Korean organizations including the Korea Institute of Startup &
Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), SparkLabs and the Global
Digital Innovation Network (GDIN).
The IT Park-GDIN partnership is particularly notable. The sides
have opened an IT Park liaison office in South Korea’s Pangyo
Technovalley to facilitate direct links between Uzbek companies and
Korean startups, investors and technology firms.
Three joint ventures and one proof-of-concept project are being
prepared under the Korea-Uzbekistan Global PoC Program, with
projects expected to launch in January 2027.
The cooperation with KISED could also create a startup exchange
and soft-landing mechanism, providing companies with market-entry
assistance, mentoring, B2B opportunities and connections with
investors. A separate agreement with SparkLabs is expected to
launch an acceleration program for Uzbek startups in the fourth
quarter of 2026.
These initiatives point to an effort to move beyond simply
increasing the number of technology companies in Uzbekistan. The
emphasis is increasingly on helping local startups commercialize
their products, attract investment and enter foreign markets.
South Korea and Europe as technology
partners
South Korea has become an important component of this strategy.
More than 700 joint ventures with Korean capital operate in
Uzbekistan, while Korean investment in the country has exceeded $8
billion. Recent presidential-level talks also identified
information technology, cybersecurity and advanced digital
technologies in healthcare among areas for deeper cooperation.
At the same time, Uzbekistan is developing links with European
technology ecosystems. Talks with La French Tech have focused on
connecting Uzbek and French startup ecosystems, facilitating market
access and potentially establishing a stronger institutional
presence for the French network in Uzbekistan.
The two tracks — domestic capacity-building and international
partnerships — are increasingly interconnected. Uzbekistan is
seeking to develop the infrastructure and workforce needed for
advanced technologies while giving domestic companies access to
foreign capital, expertise and markets.
The next stage
Uzbekistan’s digitalization drive has already produced
measurable changes. The gross value added of the digital sector
grew by an average 24.8% annually over the past five years, while
employment in information and communications increased from 64,300
in 2017 to 108,800, according to the president’s office.
The next challenge is to convert this expansion into
higher-value technological activity.
For the government, this means developing not only digital
public services and IT exports, but also the underlying data,
computing capacity, skills, startups and research capabilities
required to build AI products.
International ICT Week comes at a point when these elements are
beginning to converge. The recent agreements with Korean and
European institutions suggest that Uzbekistan is seeking to make
its digital transformation increasingly international, while its
policy framework under Mirziyoyev is placing AI at the center of
the next stage of technological and economic development.
