Uzbekistan is embarking on an ambitious infrastructure push to consolidate its creative economy sector, unveiling plans to establish three specialized innovation zones across the country: one in the heart of Tashkent, another in the New Tashkent development zone, and a third in Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan. These creative industry parks mark a strategic shift toward developing integrated ecosystems that blend production, education, and cultural infrastructure into single, interconnected hubs designed to attract and retain creative talent.
A Multifaceted Creative Ecosystem Takes Shape
The Tashkent park will serve as the flagship venture, featuring a sprawling landscaped environment with art installations and recreational spaces, alongside a Tashkent International Programming School, artisan pavilions, coworking zones, film and video production facilities, professional recording studios, a youth campus, and visitor accommodations. This isn’t simply a creative office park — it’s a comprehensive urban campus designed to keep creatives, technologists, and makers engaged within a single location. The parks will operate under public-private partnership (PPP) models, allowing state resources to be leveraged alongside private investment and operational expertise.
The New Tashkent site will provide rental spaces for creative residents, studios, media and conference facilities, and commercial services tailored to working professionals and small creative enterprises. In Nukus, authorities plan to repurpose an existing pavilion within Istiqlol Park, transforming it into a multifunctional cultural and civic center. Notably, this venue will house Uzbekistan’s national pavilion from EXPO 2025 in Osaka, alongside a new modern library, positioning the city as a secondary creative hub for the broader region.
Narrowing the Ambition Gap: From 3.7% to 5% of GDP
Uzbekistan’s creative economy currently represents 3.7% of GDP — approximately 56.8 trillion som (USD 4.6 billion) — with exports reaching USD 770 million and employment spanning over 319,000 workers. While respectable, this pales against the 3 – 7% global average and the creative sectors’ performance in developed economies where this area drives innovation and competitiveness. By 2030, authorities target lifting the sector’s contribution to 5% of GDP (145 trillion som or USD 11.7 billion), escalating exports to USD 1 billion, and creating employment for over 500,000 people.
To accelerate this transition, the government has introduced targeted tax incentives: the personal income tax rate for creative professionals has been slashed from 12% to 6%, a meaningful reduction designed to attract and retain skilled practitioners. A dedicated legal framework, enacted in 2024, established the regulatory foundation necessary for the sector to scale and operate with clarity.
Parallel Cultural Infrastructure Overhaul
Complementing the creative parks initiative, Uzbek authorities are addressing the severe underutilization of existing cultural infrastructure. Roughly 800 cultural centers across the country require renovation, with many operating according to traditional programming models limited to holiday events. A pilot project will modernize four cultural institutions in Tashkent, Kokand, Bukhara, and Samarkand, reconfiguring them around a “culture — education — leisure — dialogue” framework featuring clubs, workshops, studios, and skill-development circles across multiple disciplines.
On the educational front, Tashkent will host a High School of Traditional Arts modeled after Britain’s Royal Foundation approach, offering bachelor’s and master’s programs in ceramics, decorative painting, calligraphy, architecture, geometry, and biomorphic ornamental design. Instruction will occur in English via a two-year curriculum. Additionally, plans are advancing for a National Restoration Institute, with major conservation projects underway on Samarkand’s Bibi-Khanum Mosque and the Turkiston Palace amphitheater in Tashkent, conducted in full consultation with UNESCO standards.
Why This Matters for International Market Players
For international companies operating in design, architecture, furniture, interiors, construction, and creative services, Uzbekistan’s infrastructure buildout represents a significant market inflection point. The three creative parks will require substantial architectural design work, interior outfitting, furnishings, and specialized equipment sourcing — from production studio technology to hospitality fixtures. The modernization of 800 cultural centers opens additional channels for renovation contracts, architectural consultation, and supply of finishing materials. More broadly, these initiatives signal a maturing, state-backed commitment to positioning creative industries as a genuine economic pillar, not merely a cultural curiosity. International businesses with expertise in creative workspace design, cultural infrastructure development, or educational facility buildout should view Uzbekistan’s current trajectory as an opening window for partnerships, supply arrangements, and investment positioning before the market consolidates around established local and regional players.
