Thousands of technology executives, investors, startup founders, and government representatives have gathered in Tashkent for ICTWEEK Uzbekistan 2026, as Uzbekistan seeks to expand its technology sector and attract more foreign companies.
The four-day event opened on September 22 at the Central Asian Expo Uzbekistan (CAEx) exhibition center and runs through September 25 under the theme “Land of Startups.” Organizers expect around 25,000 visitors. More than 2,000 participants from abroad, representing 70 countries, have already arrived in Uzbekistan to attend the event, according to Rustamjon Ozodjonov, head of global marketing at IT Park, Uzbekistan’s national technology hub, which supports startups and operates a residency program for IT companies.
“As part of ICTWEEK, we expect B2B meetings, international forums, agreements, and strategic panel sessions,” Ozodjonov told The Times of Central Asia.
Ozodjonov said young companies are presenting their projects to potential investors and partners at a dedicated Startup Alley.
Artificial intelligence was one of the themes of the opening ceremony. The Bravo Orchestra first performed under the direction of an AI conductor named Timur, before conductor Alibek Kabdurakhmanov took over.
Uzbekistan’s Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov used the experiment to question the role humans will play in the economy as AI develops.
“Everyone is thinking about what will happen with AI. What will we humans do? I hope this conversation will be real and that people will still remain in demand,” Shermatov told the audience.
He linked the issue to Uzbekistan’s young and growing population. The minister said he could not imagine a future in which “everything will be AI” and people are no longer needed.
“The most important asset we have is human capital,” he added.
Shermatov pointed to the expansion of higher education and digital skills programs, including One Million Coders and training in Python and artificial intelligence. He said Uzbekistan is also sending more young people to study at leading universities abroad.
Another goal of ICTWEEK is to connect young professionals and startups directly with international companies and investors. Shermatov encouraged participants to learn foreign languages, particularly English, and use the event to find international partners.
Uzbekistan is also seeking to attract more foreign technology companies.
“More than a thousand foreign-owned companies are already residents of IT Park,” the minister said.
IT Park is also expanding its network of overseas offices and representatives, including in the United States, Germany, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and China.
ICTWEEK also featured Enterprise Uzbekistan, a special legal jurisdiction for international technology companies.
“Enterprise Uzbekistan is a territory based on the common law of England and Wales and provides a special jurisdiction for global technology companies,” Sultonmurod Rasulov, head of strategic partnerships at Enterprise Uzbekistan, told The Times of Central Asia. “Our goal is to create one of the best jurisdictions in the world, modeled on international financial centers but designed specifically for global technology.”
According to Rasulov, Enterprise Uzbekistan aims to create a predictable legal environment for international technology companies and allow them to conduct business from Uzbekistan using legal mechanisms familiar to international investors.
One area of focus will be artificial intelligence regulation. Rasulov noted that technology is developing significantly faster than traditional legal systems.
“AI is becoming very popular now. It is growing, and technology is developing very quickly compared with the legal system, which is more fixed,” he said.
Enterprise Uzbekistan plans to establish a regulatory sandbox where AI developers will be able to test products and services under a special legal regime.
The constitutional law establishing the International Center for Digital Technologies, known as Enterprise Uzbekistan, was signed on August 19, 2026. According to Rasulov, the new system will begin operating in early 2027, when the center will be able to admit its first participants.
“Starting in February, we will be able to accept the first wave of residents or participants in the International Center for Digital Technologies, Enterprise Uzbekistan,” he said.
ICTWEEK runs through September 25. The program includes events for startups and venture investors, the Enterprise Uzbekistan Summit, an artificial intelligence ethics forum, the Startup World Cup, technology exhibitions, business meetings, and industry sessions.
