Uzbekistan Aims to Become Key Supplier for High-Tech and “Green” Sectors of South Korea

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan, the most populous of the five Central Asian countries, has long been one of the world’s leading gold producers. Today, the country is seeking to become a key supplier of mineral resources for green technologies, producing copper, uranium, and silver.

Uzbekistan aims to become a strategic partner for South Korea’s high-tech industries, collaborating in critical minerals, semiconductors, green energy, and pharmaceuticals, said Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade, Laziz Kudratov, in an interview with The Korea Herald.

The country is rich in essential minerals such as tungsten and molybdenum, used in semiconductors and secondary batteries, making Uzbekistan an attractive partner for South Korea’s high-tech sector. “Our primary focus is on critical minerals,” he emphasized.

In 2024, South Korea and Uzbekistan agreed to synchronize supply chains, combining Uzbekistan’s resource wealth with South Korea’s advanced technology. The partnership spans the full cycle—from exploration and mining to processing key minerals, such as lithium—giving Korean companies priority access to economically viable deposits.

Kudratov said Uzbekistan is establishing the first semiconductor cluster in Central Asia in Tashkent with Korean expertise to create a regional technology hub. Joint initiatives are also underway in green hydrogen, ammonia, and chemical-technological centers with South Korean support.

“Uzbekistan has signed agreements with Korea covering the entire value chain—from extraction to commercialization—with the goal of becoming a reliable source for Korea’s high-tech industries,” he noted.

The minister highlighted the involvement of Korean companies, pointing out that 726 firms are already benefiting from the partnership. Many agricultural projects in Uzbekistan use Korean technologies, while strategic infrastructure is being developed for projects such as a textile industry technopark, a rare metals center, and e-commerce modernization.

“IT-Park Uzbekistan offers significant incentives, including tax benefits until 2040, simplified business registration procedures, and programs such as ‘Zero Risk’,” Kudratov added.

Collaboration with Korean companies is being carried out under the Uzbekistan-Korea IT Alliance, aimed at supporting joint ventures and technology transfer. “Trade and investment relations between Uzbekistan and South Korea are strong and continue to grow… In September 2023, a Framework Plan for Trade and Investment Promotion was signed.”

South Korea is among Uzbekistan’s largest investors, contributing more than $7.7 billion, with projects in chemicals, textiles, agriculture, energy, mining, education, and healthcare supported by Korea Eximbank. The country also doubled the Economic Development Fund limit for 2024–2027 to $2 billion, supporting projects such as the second phase of the pharmaceutical cluster at Tashkent Pharmaceutical University.

Projects including the National Multidisciplinary Surgical Clinic, the National Oncology Clinic, and Tashkent Pharma Park—which focuses on pharmaceutical research, education, and production—align with Uzbekistan’s 2030 development strategy, the minister emphasized.