KOTRA Hosts 'New Northern Uzbekistan PPP & Smart City Webinar'

KOTRA held the 'New Northern Uzbekistan PPP & Smart City Webinar' online on the 4th. Islambek, a specialist from the Uzbekistan PPP Development Agency, is introducing local infrastructure development policies and projects.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] KOTRA, together with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uzbekistan and the Korea-Uzbekistan Infrastructure Cooperation Center, held the 'New Northern Uzbekistan PPP & Smart City Webinar' online on the 4th.

In this webinar, KOTRA introduced major public-private partnership (PPP) projects in Uzbekistan and presented local policy trends related to smart cities. Korea has a successful track record of winning large-scale gas field development projects in Uzbekistan, such as the 'Surgil Project.' KOTRA aimed to raise corporate interest in the promising infrastructure market.

Since the inauguration of the Mirziyoyev administration, Uzbekistan has been shifting its major project procurement methods to PPP to overcome issues such as lack of funds, technology, development experience, and know-how. Last year, Uzbekistan enacted the PPP Act and established the 'PPP Development Agency.' According to the PPP Development Agency, currently, a total of 66 PPP projects worth 5.8 billion dollars are underway in sectors including energy, road transportation, utilities, environment, and renewable energy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, expansion into education and healthcare sectors is expected.

Additionally, smart city projects are also being activated. With urbanization progressing, the importance of improving living environments, enhancing energy efficiency, using eco-friendly energy, and developing the IT industry is increasing. There is significant interest in smart city projects that integrate urban development and IT infrastructure creation.

At the webinar on the 4th, the Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (KIND) covered trends in the Uzbekistan infrastructure market, and a specialist from the Uzbekistan PPP Development Agency introduced PPP policies and projects. A local project consulting firm also provided guidance on Uzbekistan’s smart city-related policies and projects.

Lee Jung-hoon, Head of KOTRA's CIS Regional Headquarters, stated, “The Uzbekistan government is actively promoting economic reforms and expanding social infrastructure through PPP methods utilizing foreign investment,” adding, “We will continue to establish a Team Korea system to actively support our companies in securing project contracts.”