ZTE Corporation has officially opened its Regional Service Center at IT Park Uzbekistan in Tashkent, marking a significant step in the Chinese technology company’s deepening engagement with Central Asia’s fastest-growing digital economy. The opening ceremony was attended by Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who emphasised that the establishment of a regional hub by a globally recognised company like ZTE underscores Uzbekistan’s growing appeal as a destination for high-tech investment. The centre is designed to deliver technical services, support, and digital solutions not only within Uzbekistan but across the broader Central Asian and European regions, establishing Tashkent as a service delivery node for a considerable geographic footprint.
The new centre is expected to accelerate digital economy growth, expand the export potential of information technology services, and provide valuable upskilling opportunities for local professionals. In 2025, information technology service exports from Uzbekistan in cooperation with ZTE increased significantly, reaching five million United States dollars, and the launch of the new centre is expected to build on that trajectory and further expand export volumes. The timing aligns with Uzbekistan’s broader national ambitions in the technology sector. IT Park Uzbekistan, the state-backed initiative within which the new centre is located, has set targets of reaching five billion dollars in information technology service exports, expanding its membership to 10,000 companies, and creating over 300,000 jobs in the sector, with the country having already climbed twelve positions to enter the top 100 of the global startup ecosystem ranking and rising seventeen positions in the international Artificial Intelligence Readiness Index.
Following the inauguration ceremony, Minister Shermatov held a meeting with James Zhang, Senior Vice President and President of Asia-Pacific and Commonwealth of Independent States at ZTE, during which both sides discussed key strategic initiatives aimed at positioning Uzbekistan as a regional digital hub. Topics covered included the development of modern data centre infrastructure, the establishment of secure and reliable data storage systems, the expansion of high-performance cloud computing capabilities, and the potential for attracting foreign investment into these sectors. Particular attention was also given to energy supply considerations, including the use of renewable energy sources and the expansion of infrastructure required for large-scale data centre projects, reflecting an awareness that the energy demands of advanced computing infrastructure require dedicated planning alongside the digital investment itself. At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the development of Uzbekistan’s digital landscape, deploying advanced technologies, and deepening bilateral cooperation to drive sustainable digital transformation across the region.
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