Uzbekistan aims to become Central Asia’s next global IT hub
TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN — Uzbekistan is fast emerging as a key technology and logistics hub in Central Asia, leveraging its young, skilled workforce and deepening global partnerships to position itself as a global outsourcing destination, according to a FreightWaves report.
IT Park leads Uzbekistan’s outsourcing growth
At the heart of Uzbekistan’s tech rise is IT Park Uzbekistan, a government-backed innovation cluster headquartered in Tashkent. Established under a presidential initiative, the park is driving the country’s economic modernization, housing over 1,800 resident companies as of early 2024, including more than 40 new foreign firms that have joined since January. Among them are companies from the United States, Russia, South Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Egypt, and Pakistan, reflecting Uzbekistan’s widening international appeal.
Educational and software development firms lead the surge, with 49 and 29 new residents, respectively, alongside 21 business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, evidence of the sector’s accelerating growth. IT Park residents benefit from comprehensive incentives, including 0% corporate and social taxes, reduced income tax rates, and VAT exemptions on imports and services.
“The country is one of the safest in the world, with a very low crime rate, and it has invested billions of dollars in IT infrastructure,” said ITF Group CEO Sam Burkhan in an interview with FreightWaves. “With 60% of the population under 30 and a 99% literacy rate, Uzbekistan is training a generation of young coders ready to serve global markets.”
Burkhan added that government and IT Park authorities are “closely monitoring operations and addressing cyber and fraud issues that affect the U.S. market,” stressing Uzbekistan’s commitment to transparency and reliability.
Global outreach strengthens IT partnerships
Uzbekistan has embarked on an ambitious series of global outsourcing conferences to attract investment and forge partnerships. Recent events in New York, Dubai, London, Berlin, and Seoul have highlighted the nation’s strengths in education, digital infrastructure, and cost efficiency.
In Dubai, over 100 tech leaders and investors attended a high-profile conference showcasing IT Park’s “Zero Risk” and “Regional Headquarters” programs, which offer free office space, training grants, and simplified company registration. The event is expected to lead to the opening of over 15 new companies in Uzbekistan.
In Berlin and Seoul, Uzbekistan strengthened ties with European and South Korean industries, introducing the ZeroRisk Program and the One Stop Shop service for fast market entry. Meanwhile, Tokyo hosted the Uzbekistan Outsourcing Conference in 2024, underscoring growing IT cooperation with Japan, whose $135 billion IT market faces a critical talent shortage. Uzbekistan’s young and English-proficient population offers a promising solution.
IT Park CEO Farkhad Ibragimov said the country aims to boost IT exports to $5 billion by 2030, a vision reinforced by major partnerships and government-led initiatives like the One Million Uzbek Coders program.
Central Asia’s emerging outsourcing frontier
Uzbekistan is upgrading its IT ecosystem while broadening its global partnerships, and thus it is rapidly gaining the status of a strategic alternative to traditional outsourcing centers. The combination of tax-free advantages, outreach to the international market, and the vibrant workforce are all factors that make Uzbekistan the new place for digital innovation and BPO development.
The global outsourcing market sees this change as the emergence of a new frontier that offers a mix of low cost, transparency, and government support. Uzbekistan’s progress suggests that Central Asia could soon become the world’s freshest pillar in the IT and outsourcing markets.
