8Foundry Alliance in Uzbekistan: New opportunities for collaboration and growth

June was marked by a series of productive meetings and discussions across Uzbekistan. As part of our business mission, we visited Tashkent, Termez, and Jizzakh to explore new growth opportunities for companies within the 8Foundry Alliance ecosystem. The mission focused on building valuable partnerships, assessing the market potential, and identifying areas that could become promising directions for international expansion in the years ahead.

One of the key priorities of our cluster is staying ahead of emerging trends and engaging with markets where new business opportunities are just beginning to take shape. Uzbekistan is currently one of the fastest-growing economies in Central Asia, investing heavily in digital transformation, advanced manufacturing, logistics, education, and innovation. We see significant potential for developing long-term partnerships in this rapidly evolving environment.

Partnerships that create new opportunities

One of the most important milestones of the mission was achieved on the very first day. 8Foundry Alliance signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Economic Cooperation of Uzbekistan, laying the foundation for long-term international cooperation and future joint initiatives in the Uzbek market.

The National Economic Cooperation of Uzbekistan actively supports investment, export development, and international business collaboration. For our members, this partnership provides direct access to an organization with strong capabilities to facilitate business cooperation and build relationships within the local economic ecosystem.

The agreement covers a broad range of areas, including innovation, digital transformation, business internationalization, export support, technologies for the food and textile industries, logistics, and modern supply chains. It also creates opportunities for joint research and development projects, grant initiatives, and collaboration between universities, clusters, and business support organisations.

Another important part of the program included meetings at IT Park Uzbekistan with Jahongir Normatov, Head of GovTech Solutions Expansion, Fayzulla Ulmasov, Head of Global Growth, and Adkhamjon Abdullaev. Discussions focused on opportunities for cooperation in ICT, GovTech, digital transformation, and future projects involving companies from the 8Foundry Alliance community.

In Tashkent, we also met with Diyor Isroilov from the Uzbek Investment Promotion Agency to discuss investment opportunities, economic cooperation, and the growing potential of the Central Asian market for international businesses.

Where business meets academia

Education and research collaboration were another key focus of the mission. At the National Pedagogical University of Uzbekistan, we had the pleasure of meeting Khilola Umarova, Rector of the University and Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration for Education System Reform. We also met with members of the university leadership: Rakhmanov Zafarjon, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Farkhod Alisherov, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, and Rajapov Vahobjon, First Vice-Rector for Youth Affairs and Spiritual-Educational Affairs.

The meeting also marked an important milestone for our cluster. We were pleased to present the university with an official 8Foundry Alliance membership certificate after they decided to join our community, recognizing the value and potential of our international ecosystem. This creates new opportunities for collaborative educational, research, and international initiatives.

Collaboration with academia has always been one of the pillars of 8Foundry Alliance. Experience shows that the most impactful innovations emerge where business, technology, and science intersect. As Uzbekistan continues to invest in higher education, digital skills, and innovation, we see strong potential for developing joint projects that bring together all three sectors.

Our academic outreach also included meetings at Termez State University, where we spoke with Gafur Togaev, Vice Rector for International Cooperation, about research partnerships, skills development, and knowledge transfer.

The mission continued at Jizzakh State Pedagogical University, where we met with Maksudjan Yuldashev, Rector of the University, and Sanjar Yakhshilikov, responsible for international cooperation. These relationships strengthen long-term collaboration between business, academia, and the public sector while creating a solid foundation for future initiatives.

Building relationships that deliver long-term value

We also held valuable meetings with regional authorities. In Termez, we met with Sherali Jo’rayev Ksolmaxamadovich, Deputy Governor of the Surxondaryo Region, while in Jizzakh we met with Bakhrom Yusupov, Deputy Governor of the Jizzakh Region. These discussions provided valuable insights into regional development priorities and the sectors where international partners with expertise in advanced technologies, logistics, infrastructure, and smart city solutions are actively sought.

Termez itself proved particularly interesting as it is rapidly emerging as an important logistics and trade hub connecting Central and South Asia. The developing free trade zone on the Afghan border is expected to create new opportunities for companies looking to expand into international logistics and cross-border trade.

Advanced Technologies

The mission also included meetings dedicated to advanced technologies. We met with Jakhongir Iskhakov, Project Manager at the Center for Space Monitoring and Geoinformation Technologies, and Bakhodir Kurbonov, Chief Specialist of the International Cooperation Department at UZINFOCOM.

Our discussions focused on satellite technologies, geoinformation systems, digital public services, and the development of modern digital infrastructure. These technologies are already transforming sectors such as energy, agriculture, logistics, public administration, security, and crisis management, making them highly relevant for many companies within the 8Foundry Alliance ecosystem.

Another important meeting took place with Muhammad Madrahimov, representing UzTourist, a member of 8Foundry Alliance. It provided an opportunity to discuss further cooperation and identify new international business opportunities together with existing members of our community.

Building international partnerships is a long-term process that requires consistency, commitment, and regular engagement. While the results do not appear overnight, every mission strengthens our network of partners and creates new opportunities for future projects, investments, and business development for our members.

Our mission to Uzbekistan confirmed that Central Asia is becoming an increasingly important region on the global economic and technology landscape. As a cluster, our role is to identify these emerging trends early and establish the presence of 8Foundry Alliance wherever new opportunities for our members are taking shape.

Importantly, the mission also opened the door to future business missions and dedicated networking events for members of the 8Foundry Alliance community.