Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In recent years, Uzbekistan has been making an increasingly confident case for itself as a promising center for the development of the digital economy and creative industries. One of the clearest confirmations of this course was the recent signing of a cooperation agreement between IT Park Uzbekistan and the international consulting firm Futura Digital.

Alexandra Kurdyumova, co-founder of Futura, has spent the past nine years building a practice focused on technology and creative businesses. Under her leadership, a team of specialists with backgrounds in EY, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, and Clifford Chance has successfully established a network of international offices and become a sought-after partner in jurisdictions ranging from the UAE to Hong Kong.

In an interview with UzDaily, Alexandra Kurdyumova spoke about the company’s mission in Uzbekistan, the prospects of its partnership with IT Park, the challenges and opportunities for local startups, and how Futura Law intends to help Uzbek entrepreneurs enter global markets.

— Futura has already established itself in jurisdictions such as the UAE, the EU, Hong Kong, and beyond. Could you tell us more about the company’s journey and the key expertise you are bringing to emerging markets like Uzbekistan?

— Our team has been working together for nine years now, and with some colleagues — even longer. We all came from various international consulting and corporate structures, with strong academic backgrounds and professional experience. For example, I myself came from EY, and among our team are former employees of Deloitte, PwC, KPMG, Clifford Chance, Accenture, and other leading firms. Futura now has over 100 professionals, not including a network of local private lawyers worldwide whom we engage for specific projects. The company’s headquarters are in the UAE.

Our focus is on businesses whose very core lies in intellectual property, creativity, and technology. That means IT, game development, fintech and crypto, animation, video production — essentially everything at the intersection of digital and creative industries. We are genuinely passionate about these fields, deeply immersed in them, and we understand their challenges and how to solve them.

Our greatest strength is our cross-jurisdictional expertise. We know how to operate at the intersection of different legal systems, we see the global context, and we understand that businesses today don’t just need help within a single country — they need a partner who can think internationally. Nowadays, a company may have offices in Hong Kong, the Emirates, and Uzbekistan, while receiving investment from the U.S. or the EU — and all of this needs to be managed simultaneously. That’s exactly what our team excels at.

This experience and approach are what we want to bring to Uzbekistan — and we believe they will be very valuable here.

— Today’s agreement with IT Park Uzbekistan is an important milestone. What does this partnership mean for Futura strategically? Why did you choose Uzbekistan, and why now?

— At Futura, we often play the role of a bridge — between startups and investors, between governments and entrepreneurs, and between business representatives from different countries seeking to collaborate. Over time, we realized that this “bridge-building” role is not just a part of our work but our true mission.

We see our task as building strong connections between countries and innovation hubs where technology and creative industries are actively developing, and where governments are open and eager to support new sectors. Uzbekistan is a prime example of such a place.

Here, we see a young and emerging community. IT Park Uzbekistan itself is only six years old — and yet there is already a genuine sense of drive, energy, and ambition for growth. We are confident that within the next five years, Uzbekistan will become one of the region’s brightest rising stars.

That’s precisely why we wanted to be here — to contribute to the development of the ecosystem with our experience, expertise, and global perspective.

At the same time, Uzbekistan is part of a broader strategy for us. Within Futura, we aim to build a network of partnerships with key hubs around the world so that in the future they can collaborate with each other — sharing experience, knowledge, and projects, and even organizing business missions to one another.

We very much want hubs like Uzbekistan to become part of the global community — and for us to contribute to creating these connections. This is our genuine aspiration and part of our mission: to help, to connect, and to support growth.

— Uzbekistan’s digital economy is developing rapidly, but its regulatory framework is still taking shape. How do you assess the local ecosystem from the standpoint of legal and strategic consulting? What opportunities and challenges do you see?

— When a legal framework is still being formed, it has both drawbacks and advantages. The drawback is that many legal instruments familiar to international businesses have not yet been implemented. Companies don’t always understand exactly how their activities will be regulated and may face difficulties — for example, the absence of instruments standard under English law that have long been the norm elsewhere.

But there’s also a major advantage — the system is still flexible and open to influence. Proposals can be made, and we can demonstrate how things are done in other countries. We have broad exposure to different regulatory approaches: we work with tools from multiple legal systems and know which ones are effective and which are not. If IT Park or other state institutions are interested, we would be glad to contribute through analysis, comparative research, and practical recommendations.

What particularly excites us is Uzbekistan’s initiative to introduce elements of English law, following the example of the AIFC in Kazakhstan. This is a truly important step: English law instruments make the market more transparent, safer, and more attractive for foreign investors. It’s a very promising direction.

— Your company has experience working with global regulatory frameworks in the field of digital assets. Do you plan to help Uzbek companies comply with international standards? How important is this for startups seeking to enter the global market?

— Absolutely — that’s one of our core strengths. We don’t just want to bring international expertise into Uzbekistan; above all, we want to help Uzbek companies expand into global markets. This is our real expertise: cross-jurisdictional experience, understanding the standards of different countries, and the ability to “translate” between legal systems.

Technology businesses, game development, and fintech are by nature borderless. No IT company today focuses only on its domestic market, whether in Uzbekistan or anywhere else. The main markets are the U.S., the EU, Brazil, Korea. And to enter those markets, companies must meet a whole range of requirements: What about personal data? Which regulations apply? How do you structure contracts with Steam or app stores? What do you do if your game gets copied?

The answers lie across different legal systems — and we help companies navigate them. So yes, we are eager to support Uzbek teams that want to scale globally.

— What are your expectations from cooperation with IT Park over the next 12–18 months? Are there specific initiatives, pilot projects, or support programs planned?

— We’ve just signed a memorandum of understanding — essentially confirming our intention to collaborate, build a partnership, and support each other. It’s only the beginning, but we’re already taking steps. For example, we recently brought a small delegation of entrepreneurs who were eager to see IT Park from the inside. That was our first business mission — and it was already a success!

From here, we want to go further. We plan to launch joint initiatives for experience exchange. For instance, Uzbek companies will be able to travel to Dubai, where we have strong partnerships with local hubs, while companies from the UAE could visit Uzbekistan. We envision a living ecosystem where residents of different hubs can network, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects. We’re currently discussing and shaping these formats — and we’re very excited about it.

— You are currently in Tashkent yourself. What has particularly pleased or surprised you here — in the local startup scene, in conversations with entrepreneurs and institutions?

— The atmosphere here is incredibly welcoming. Tashkent is bright, sunny, and very hospitable. You feel it everywhere: in casual interactions with people on the street, in working with IT Park, and in conversations with entrepreneurs.

Everyone is open, sincere, and ready to share their plans, their challenges, and their hopes. It’s a wonderful community — vibrant, curious, and genuinely eager to grow and develop. It’s a real pleasure to be part of this dialogue.

— Does Futura plan to invest in local projects or venture initiatives in the region, or will your role primarily be consulting and legal support?

— At this stage, we see our role more as a legal and strategic partner. But we are also a kind of business-development bridge, building connections between communities in different countries. It’s not always about consulting; it’s about creating interaction.

We believe that through such bridges — between Uzbek entrepreneurs and their peers abroad — new projects, partnerships, and even investments can emerge. Perhaps not directly from us, but through us, through our network and platform.

So our mission here is to enable exchange, build trust, present Uzbekistan to the global market, and bring the global market closer to Uzbekistan.

— In your view, how actively are Uzbekistan’s state institutions involved in developing the technology sector? What elements would you recommend strengthening to make the ecosystem even more attractive for international companies?

— It’s very clear that the government of Uzbekistan is genuinely committed to developing the tech sector and attracting international players. There are tax incentives, preferences for IT Park residents, and significant investments in education programs. Many residents told us they see the local talent pool growing — which is really encouraging.

Of course, education takes time — you can’t instantly produce a large number of skilled specialists. But the foundation has been laid, and if this course is maintained, success will surely follow.

We also see the government opening up to the world. At the international conference in IT Park, for example, there were hundreds of guests from Korea, the U.S., France, and Poland — right in the center of Tashkent. That simply wouldn’t be possible without strong government support.

As for what could be strengthened — perhaps looking at the experiences of other countries. For example, game development incentives in Türkiye, special programs in the UAE (like DMCC and AD Gaming), and broader steps to build strong ecosystems around specific industries. Adapting and applying such measures here would make Uzbekistan an even more visible and attractive hub.

— You are one of the few female founders in the international legal and strategic consulting space. What advice would you give young women in Uzbekistan who aspire to build a career in tech, consulting, or entrepreneurship?

I would advise courage — and sincerity in that courage. The courage to be yourself, to believe in your strengths and talents, and in your ability to make an impact on the world.

It’s universal advice for any young person, but to be honest, women especially need it. Because of social norms and upbringing, many women struggle to truly believe in themselves. It’s hard for them to imagine they can be both an entrepreneur and a mother, a lawyer and a creator, to live by their own rules — and still be successful.

But it’s absolutely possible. The key is not to be afraid to be yourself. To reject stereotypes. To stop choosing between career and personal life, between creativity and business. And to focus not on fears, but on the essence — the positive contribution you want to make to the world.

If someone is talented, and they add courage and sincerity to that — they can succeed. In any field. I am sure of it.