Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan is developing a 6,400-hectare Smart City industrial park in Tashkent region, Mukhtor Umarov, chairman of the Assembly of Economy of Uzbekistan, said at the FINOBOD 2026 forum in Tashkent.
Umarov spoke on 13 November during a plenary session titled “Digital Uzbekistan – Central Asia’s Innovation Hub”.
The session moderator asked what steps were needed to develop strong regional companies capable of becoming global leaders.
Umarov said the proposed approach involved establishing joint ventures. This would allow companies to adopt practices and skills that their partners had developed over many years and grow through rapid transformation rather than gradual evolution, he said.
He compared the approach with China's experience, saying a similar system had existed there in the 1970s and that Deng Xiaoping's policies were based on the same principles. Uzbekistan had chosen a similar model, he added.
Umarov said the Smart City park was intended to offer favourable conditions for foreign partners seeking to establish industrial zones there.
A new type of Central Asian free trade zone covering 55,000 square metres is also planned in Tashkent.
Umarov said partners were being invited to both sites. Goods from the free trade zone would be eligible for sale not only across Central Asia but also in other countries.
