A delegation from the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship, led by Executive Director Dina H. Sherif, conducted a working visit to Uzbekistan.
The MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship is a global academic center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), founded in 2007 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Center is dedicated to advancing innovation-driven entrepreneurship in growth markets as a pathway to achieving prosperity that is sustainable, inclusive, and locally owned.
Dina H. Sherif has led the Center since 2019. Under her leadership, the Center has supported more than 600 innovators from 67 countries; companies founded by program alumni have served over 17 million customers worldwide. A graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, Ms. Sherif previously headed the Entrepreneurship Center at the American University in Cairo.
Over the course of the visit, meetings were held with the Ministry of Digital Technologies, IT Park Uzbekistan, the Academy of Sciences, leading universities, as well as with startups and representatives of the country’s venture community. Following the discussions, the parties expressed readiness to develop long-term cooperation aimed at strengthening Uzbekistan’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Sherzod Shermatov, Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, met with Dina H. Sherif to discuss prospects for strategic partnership in advancing the country’s startup and DeepTech ecosystem, as well as effective approaches to expanding international scientific and technological cooperation.
Priority areas for collaboration included the establishment of research centers in artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced manufacturing, energy technologies, and autonomous systems. The Minister noted that these areas align with the strategic course set by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to foster high-tech industries and digital products.
During the meeting, Uzbekistan’s current startup landscape was presented: more than 750 startups are operating in the country, over 147 of which have attracted local and international investment. Uzbekistan has also entered the top 100 global startup ecosystems.
The parties confirmed their readiness to develop practical cooperation in research, education, and technology entrepreneurship.
Discussions focused on strategic priorities for potential long-term cooperation, including innovation policy development, support for DeepTech startups, private capital formation, and the international positioning of Uzbekistan.
IT Park Uzbekistan – the largest technology park in Central Asia, with 14 regional branches and 6 international offices – serves as a key development institution for the country’s digital ecosystem and IT exports. It provides residents with tax and customs incentives, infrastructure support, and talent development programs.
Potential areas of joint work included educational programs for public officials and policymakers, incubation and acceleration initiatives based on MIT methodologies, and mechanisms to attract MIT-affiliated applied research structures to Uzbekistan.
The MIT Kuo Sharper Center delegation visited the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the country’s leading scientific institution, founded in 1943 and currently comprising 36 research institutes, 210 laboratories, and more than 5,700 researchers. The delegation was welcomed by Vice Presidents Sirojiddin Mirzaev and Shakhlo Turdikulova.
Discussions centered on deeper integration with international innovation ecosystems. The parties explored opportunities for joint programs in digital economy, artificial intelligence, green technologies, and biotechnology, as well as mechanisms for attracting MIT-affiliated applied research centers to Uzbekistan.
As a result of the meeting, the sides agreed to create a competitive research environment.
As part of the visit, Dina H. Sherif met with representatives of two leading universities in Tashkent. At Turin Polytechnic University in Tashkent (TTPU), Rector Olimjon Tuychiev welcomed the delegation. Established in partnership with Politecnico di Torino, the university delivers international engineering programs in close collaboration with major industrial companies, including UzAuto, BYD, MAN, and SamAuto. Discussions focused on institutional mechanisms to support startups, commercialization of DeepTech projects, and integration of young entrepreneurs into global innovation networks.
At Central Asian University (CAU), the delegation reviewed applied research platforms such as AI Lab and Med Lab, operating at the intersection of technology and healthcare. The discussions addressed opportunities for strengthening applied research collaboration, supporting innovation-driven projects, and integrating university-based initiatives into broader international innovation ecosystems.
The university delivers English-language programs in partnership with European institutions under Erasmus+. In 2025, CAU was recognized as the best private higher education institution in Uzbekistan and ranked among the top 1000 universities in the Round University Ranking.
On the first day, an AI Startups Roast session was held – a public pitch review format featuring expert evaluation of business models and scalability potential. Ten Uzbek AI companies presented to Dina H. Sherif and the IT Park Uzbekistan team: Tass Vision, Growy AI, Promptlab, Screenix AI, Sales Doctor, Tuzuk AI, Freyt, Moliy AI, TTLK, and Geomotive.
Each team received detailed feedback on business model viability, readiness for international investment, and prospects for entering global markets.
A roundtable discussion was held with representatives of Uzbekistan’s venture capital community. Participants included key market players: IT Park Ventures (portfolio of more than 70 startups, focused on export-oriented IT products), UzVC (national venture fund and regulatory architect), AloqaVentures (corporate venture fund of AloqaBank, specializing in FinTech, GovTech, and E-commerce), SQB Ventures (venture arm of Sanoat Qurilish Bank), UC Ventures (investment vehicle of Uzcard), Yoshlar Ventures, United Ventures, and DOMiNO Ventures, a regional fund specializing in AI and DeepTech.
The discussion focused on public–private capital interaction as a tool for systemic ecosystem development, formation of a local investor base, and preparation of startups for international funding rounds.
The two-day program concluded with a public Fireside Chat featuring Dina H. Sherif, bringing together startup founders, venture investors, and representatives of government institutions. The discussion addressed the development of integrated innovation systems and how emerging ecosystems can enable their companies to scale globally.
Participants explored structural barriers to global expansion for startups from developing ecosystems, models of public–private collaboration in innovation policy, and practical lessons from international experience.
The visit of the MIT Kuo Sharper Center delegation marked an important milestone in the development of Uzbekistan’s innovation ecosystem. The parties expressed readiness for long-term cooperation in research, education, and technology entrepreneurship, providing Uzbekistan with access to advanced methodologies for building sustainable ecosystems, preparing technology leaders, and strengthening the integration of science and business.
Partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Kuo Sharper Center enhances Uzbekistan’s position on the global technology and innovation map. For decades, MIT has shaped the international innovation and entrepreneurship agenda, and engagement with its leading center enables Uzbekistan to integrate into a global intellectual and entrepreneurial network, strengthening trust among investors, universities, and technology companies.
20 February 2026
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