Uzbekistan is opening a new chapter in its digital economy, unveiling an ambitious plan to turn the country into a regional hub for IT services and startups, with clear targets for export growth, investment inflows and the maturation of its innovation ecosystem.
Strategic goals for IT exports and startups by 2030
According to the updated national agenda, Uzbekistan aims by 2030 to increase the export volume of IT services to 5 billion dollars, build a base of around 5000 functioning startups and attract 2 billion dollars of investment into the sector. These figures position the digital industry as one of the future pillars of the country's economy, alongside more traditional manufacturing and infrastructure projects.
The plan is not just about individual tech companies — it is about transforming Uzbekistan into a service platform where international businesses can source software development, digital design, data services and tech solutions from Central Asia with predictable quality, cost and regulatory stability.
Uzbekistan's startup ecosystem gains global visibility
The presentation emphasized that in the international StartupBlink ranking Uzbekistan moved up by 31 positions and was recognized as the fastest growing startup ecosystem in the world. This rapid progress indicates that early reforms and incentives are already reshaping the innovation landscape and putting the country on the radar of global tech investors.
Tashkent took the leading position among cities in Central Asia, confirming its role as the primary digital hub of the region. At the same time, Samarkand and Fergana entered the global top one thousand startup cities for the first time, signaling that innovation activity is no longer confined to the capital. For international businesses, this means a broader geography of potential partners and service providers within the country.
Talent Hub concept to simplify entry for foreign specialists and investors
To support the next stage of growth, authorities are proposing the launch of a Talent Hub program. This initiative is designed to make Uzbekistan accessible to international professionals and investors without the traditional physical barriers of relocation and paperwork.
Under Talent Hub, foreign specialists and investors will be able to remotely register a company in Uzbekistan, open a local bank account and obtain an international banking card, all without personal presence in the country. For global firms considering Central Asia as a production, sourcing or back-office destination, this significantly lowers entry costs and speeds up the process of testing the market.
By effectively turning company registration and financial onboarding into an online service, Uzbekistan is aligning its business infrastructure with the needs of fast-moving technology enterprises, outsourcing firms and cross-border project developers across multiple industries.
Extended tax incentives and supportive immigration regimes
The development plan also includes long term fiscal and regulatory incentives aimed at keeping both local and foreign tech firms anchored in Uzbekistan. It is proposed to extend tax benefits for employees of companies residing in the national IT Park until 2040. This offers a rare level of predictability in emerging markets, giving companies confidence to design investment horizons over more than a decade.
In parallel, the authorities intend to expand the IT Visa and Zero Risk programs. IT Visa simplifies the arrival and stay of foreign IT professionals and founders, making it easier to build multinational teams on the ground. Zero Risk is focused on reducing operational and regulatory risks for international companies entering the Uzbek market, including fast access to premises, infrastructure support and a tailored environment for export oriented tech operations.
Together, these steps form a comprehensive package: a special regime for taxes, more comfortable immigration rules for experts, and streamlined procedures for establishing and running technology businesses. They are designed to make Uzbekistan one of the most predictable and cost efficient locations for IT and digital service operations in the wider macroregion.
Broader impact on Central Asian business and infrastructure
The push to grow IT exports and startups is likely to ripple outward into other sectors that shape the macroregional context, including construction, transport and logistics, hospitality and retail. As more startups emerge, demand increases for modern office spaces, data centers, technology friendly industrial parks and flexible hospitality infrastructure capable of hosting short term project teams and international specialists.
Digital platforms created in Uzbekistan can support smarter logistics planning, building information modeling, interior and exterior design services, and virtual showrooms for regional manufacturers. Fintech and proptech solutions developed by local startups can also help unlock new financing models for construction projects, furniture production and cross border trade, making it easier for foreign companies to structure and manage investments.
At the Central Asian level, Uzbekistan's emergence as a fast growing digital hub may serve as a gateway for international brands that want to coordinate operations across multiple markets in the region, using the country's IT infrastructure and startup talent as a central support base.
Why this matters for international furniture, construction and design businesses
For international companies in furniture and interior solutions, construction, architecture and design, this policy shift opens new practical opportunities. A stronger IT ecosystem means better access to local partners capable of developing digital tools for project visualization, smart building management, online configurators, virtual showrooms and omnichannel retail platforms for home and office products.
Long term tax incentives, the Talent Hub model and expanded IT Visa and Zero Risk regimes make it easier for such companies to test Uzbekistan as a regional base: they can set up design or engineering offices, outsource part of their digital development to local teams, or collaborate with Uzbek startups on new solutions for construction management and interior design. At the same time, the rise of Tashkent, Samarkand and Fergana as startup cities signals that future growth in demand for high quality furniture, fit out and urban development will not be limited to the capital, offering a wider landscape for investment and market entry strategies.
