Uzbekistan plans to increase venture capital investment to $2 bn and expand the number of startups to 5,000 by 2030 under a presidential decree issued by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The strategy also aims to commercialise 2,000 youth startup ideas and bring around 400 of them to international markets.
Winners of innovation contests and hackathons will be eligible for loans of up to $20,000 from state-backed venture funds.
Entrepreneurs may also apply for grants of up to $10,000 under the Digital Startups programme.
From 2027, research and development centres will open across the country to support early-stage companies. These hubs will provide co-working spaces, legal support and expert advice, along with access to equipment, testing sites and laboratories.
The centres will be launched in stages within youth technoparks and universities with support from the higher education ministry, while the digital technologies ministry plans to establish a dedicated research hub in Nurafshan.
An annual Startup Expo exhibition is also planned to showcase projects and ideas to investors, major enterprises and universities. The event will be organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the economy and finance ministry, the central bank and other state bodies.
Kursiv also reports that Uzbekistan will establish a digital platform titled «Unified National Project Management».
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