Uzbekistan is strengthening cooperation with the European technology ecosystem. During a visit to Finland, Uzbekistan's Minister of Digital Technologies, Sherzod Shermatov, visited one of the country's largest startup and innovation centers – Maria 01. During the meeting, the parties discussed the development of joint projects in the IT sector, support for startups, and the expansion of innovation partnership between the two countries.
Particular attention was paid to the interaction between IT Park Uzbekistan and Maria 01. Negotiations with Sarita Runenberg touched upon the issues of Uzbek startups entering the European and Scandinavian markets, as well as opportunities for attracting international venture capital. In addition, the launch of joint acceleration and mentorship programs to support technology entrepreneurs was discussed.
The parties also considered the prospects of studying Finnish experience in developing innovation infrastructure and improving mechanisms for supporting the startup ecosystem in Uzbekistan. Following the meeting, the participants emphasized the importance of strengthening direct ties between the technological communities of the two countries and agreed to continue working on joint educational and investment initiatives.
