Uzbekistan proposed to Korea to create high-tech production facilities in Central Asia

Uzbekistan proposed to Korea to develop high-tech manufacturing in Central Asia

Shavkat Mirziyoyev spoke at the first "Central Asia — Republic of Korea" business summit and called on Korean businesses to join in forming production chains in the region.

On September 16 in Seoul, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the first "Central Asia — Republic of Korea" business summit. The meeting also gathered the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and South Korea.

According to the head of state, cooperation between Central Asia and Korea is entering a qualitatively new stage. He believes that the region, with a population of over 80 million people, should be perceived as a single space of opportunities with growing demand and significant resource, energy, and human potential.

Among the main priorities, the president highlighted industrial cooperation and the building of full-fledged production chains. Uzbekistan proposes to combine the raw material base of the region's countries with the financial and technological capabilities of Korea, focusing on the deep processing of resources and the manufacture of finished products.

Special attention was paid to critical minerals. According to the president, Uzbekistan's mineral resource base is valued at at least $3 trillion. In the coming years, the country plans to implement 120 projects in the field of critical minerals with a total value of more than $4 billion.

Joint research and personnel training should become a significant part of the cooperation. Uzbekistan proposed attracting Korean companies, universities, and research centers to develop new products and technologies, including projects involving the creation of intellectual property.

A separate block of negotiations concerned artificial intelligence. According to Mirziyoyev's assessment, the development of AI is capable of providing the economies of the region's countries with at least $10 billion in added value within five years.

A hub for hosting artificial intelligence data centers has already been established in Karakalpakstan, and Korean companies are invited to participate in projects in this field.

Another promising area mentioned was the production of semiconductors and microelectronics. A joint Center for the Design and Testing of Semiconductors, Industrial Microelectronics, and New Materials is being established on the basis of the Future Technologies Center in Nurafshan.

Uzbekistan is also ready to create conditions for hosting research and development units and laboratories of Korean and Central Asian companies.

The president named biotechnology and pharmaceuticals as a promising area of cooperation. Uzbekistan's market for medicines and medical devices has already reached $3 billion. In this field, it was proposed to form a biopharmaceutical cluster that will combine scientific research, a clinical base, and production.

At the same time, a special emphasis is planned on training specialists. In particular, it was proposed to create a unified regional program for training engineers and organize their internships in Korean laboratories and at advanced enterprises.

Korean business was also invited to participate in projects for copper processing, production of electrical equipment, localization of components for the automotive and electric vehicle industries, robotics, and automation.

Other areas of cooperation include hydropower, energy storage systems, modernization of energy grids, as well as the development of transport and urban infrastructure.

Thus, at the core of Uzbekistan's proposal lies the transition from exporting raw materials to creating high-value-added products. To achieve this, the country expects to combine the natural resources of Central Asia with Korean technologies, investments, scientific developments, and competencies.