Why is this important
Uzbekistan is accelerating the development of artificial intelligence and the digital economy, making them one of the key foundations of future economic growth. At the same time, the authorities are expanding digital infrastructure, strengthening support for IT businesses, and training new specialists for the sector. Large-scale plans to introduce AI into public administration, industry, healthcare, and transport show that digitalization is gradually becoming part of the country’s core economic policy.
What happened
- Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on reforms and future priorities in the field of artificial intelligence and digitalization.
- During the meeting, officials discussed the development of AI infrastructure, the introduction of digital solutions into the economy, support for startups, the training of IT specialists, and the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure.
- The authorities presented plans to systematize more than 130 state databases, develop AI projects in healthcare, transport, agriculture, and industry, as well as create new IT infrastructure facilities in the regions.
- Special attention was given to the localization of IT services, cybersecurity, and the development of digital education.
Numbers and facts
- The “Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy sets the goal of increasing exports of IT services and software products to $5 billion, ensuring employment for 300,000 young people in the IT sector, and bringing the country into the top 30 of the UN E-Government Index.
- Over the past five years, gross value added in the digital technology sector has grown by an average of 24.8% per year, which is 3.5 times higher than the country’s GDP growth rate.
- Employment in the information and communications sector increased from 64,300 people in 2017 to 108,800 people.
- The number of self-employed workers increased from 10,000 to 181,000 people.
- More than 11,900 enterprises are currently operating in the IT sector, of which about 1,400 were established with foreign capital participation.
- Around 100 practical projects and more than 200 pilot initiatives are being implemented in the field of artificial intelligence.
- At copper processing plant No. 3 of the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, the introduction of AI reduced energy consumption by 10%, lowered production costs by 15%, and increased labor productivity by 10%.
- A GPU cluster worth $24 million has been created to develop artificial intelligence infrastructure.
- By the end of the year, computing capacity is planned to be further expanded with an additional $45 million worth of equipment.
- The authorities plan to systematize more than 130 databases in healthcare, transport, energy, agriculture, customs, and the tax system for the introduction of AI models and digital services.
- There are currently 950 startups in the country — 37.5% more than last year.
- The number of venture funds has reached 22, while the startup ecosystem is valued at $4.3 billion and the volume of attracted investment has reached $132 million.
- The prize fund of the presidential startup competition in IT has been increased to $5 million. Another $1 million will be allocated for artificial intelligence competitions.
- It is also proposed to establish the “President AI Award” in five categories.
- New branches of IT Park are planned to open in Samarkand, Namangan, Syrdarya, and Bukhara.
- An R&D center will be created in Nurafshan on a 7.3-hectare site with six high-tech laboratories, a computing center with 200 GPUs, a startup campus, and a commercialization center.
- The project cost will amount to $200 million, with implementation scheduled for 2027–2031.
- As part of the “5 Million AI Leaders” program, more than 1 million people have already completed basic training, over 300,000 have completed intermediate-level courses, and 1,500 specialists have undergone professional training.
- Wi-Fi zones are completely absent in 69% of the country’s schools, around 5,000 computer classrooms are considered outdated, and another 2,000 schools have no computer classrooms at all. By 2030, the authorities plan to modernize 16,000 computer classrooms and provide schools with free Wi-Fi.
- Coverage of populated areas with telecommunications services has increased from 41% to 98%, while total internet bandwidth has grown 65-fold to 4,400 gigabits per second.
- In 2026, the telecommunications market is expected to reach 27.5 trillion soums with annual growth of at least 10%.
Context
- For the IT sector, these plans mean a further increase in government investment in infrastructure, computing capacity, and workforce training.
- The expansion of the IT Park network, the launch of new AI competitions, and the growth of the venture market create additional opportunities for startups and technology companies within the country.
- For the economy as a whole, digitalization is gradually becoming a tool for increasing productivity and reducing costs in industry, transport, healthcare, and public administration.
- At the same time, the authorities are tightening oversight of digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and public IT procurement, placing emphasis on the localization of software solutions and the development of the domestic technology market.
