Outcomes of the visit to Japan: New opportunities for IT outsourcing and startups of Uzbekistan

From October 13 to 18, a delegation from the Ministry of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, led by Minister Sherzod Shermatov, along with a delegation from IT Park Uzbekistan, headed by CEO Abdulahad Kuchkarov, visited Japan. The itinerary included participation in the international exhibition “CEATEC 2025: Innovation for All in Chiba,” the organization of Uzbekistan Outsourcing Session presentation events in Osaka and Sapporo, and meetings with representatives from prominent Japanese IT and content firms.

This visit was part of IT Park Uzbekistan’s strategic initiative to enhance international collaboration and position Uzbekistan as a dependable hub for IT outsourcing and technological investments.

As a result of the visit, several significant cooperation agreements were established. The Information-technology Promotion Agency of Japan (IPA) indicated its willingness to facilitate joint seminars aimed at showcasing Uzbekistan’s IT capabilities. Companies such as Ecraftman, Kushiro, NextOne, and 87Solution expressed their plans to establish offices in Uzbekistan. Additionally, outsourcing contracts are anticipated from Graphinica, Manga Culture, Techno Support Design, Hokkaido Intellect Tank, TaskDo, and various other firms.

Moreover, over 50 Japanese companies showed interest in collaboration, and practical negotiations have already begun with several of them.

CEATEC 2025: Japan’s increasing interest in Uzbekistan’s IT sector

On October 14, the international exhibition CEATEC 2025 was officially inaugurated in Chiba, where IT Park Uzbekistan showcased its national stand. Throughout the day, representatives from more than 30 companies, including Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, SCSK, IPA, Uzabase, Xacti, and others, visited the stand. Additionally, a representative from IT Park delivered a presentation on the advancement of Uzbekistan’s IT sector, attended by over 40 international companies.

Firms such as SCSK, Uzabase, and Xacti expressed their intent to visit Uzbekistan soon to investigate opportunities within the local IT outsourcing market. An agreement was established with the Information-technology Promotion Agency of Japan (IPA) to coordinate a series of joint seminars and meetings aimed at presenting the capabilities of Uzbekistan’s IT ecosystem to Japanese enterprises.

During the exhibition, IT Park organized around 40 business meetings, forging connections with various international firms that view Uzbekistan as a promising venue for business growth. Notable participants included NAGASE, Sunflower TC Co., Ltd., Collab, Shikumi Lab, Fortience Consulting (NTT Data Group), Energy Coloring, HEADLOCK Inc., and Agekke Group. Several of these companies showed interest in setting up offices in Uzbekistan or collaborating with local IT firms.

IT Park’s involvement in CEATEC 2025 attracted significant attention from Japanese partners and highlighted Uzbekistan's increasing appeal as a hub for IT business and outsourcing.

Osaka: Interest in outsourcing and content production

On October 15, the IT Park Uzbekistan delegation hosted the Uzbekistan Outsourcing Session in Osaka, which saw participation from 22 Japanese IT and content companies. Among those present were Graphinica, 87Solution, Manga Culture, Techno Support Design, LiveWell, Ryusenkyo Corporation, Knowledge on Demand, Noramatch, Stone System, Alaki, and others.

During the session, representatives from IT Park delivered a comprehensive presentation on the advancement of Uzbekistan’s IT sector, government support initiatives, tax incentives, and the framework for training skilled professionals, including those proficient in Japanese and English.

The participants concentrated on three primary areas of collaboration. They acknowledged the significant potential of Uzbekistan’s young IT talent, especially given the shortage of skilled workers in various regions of Japan, including Osaka. The benefits of operating in Uzbekistan, such as cost efficiency due to favorable tax regulations, were also highlighted.

Furthermore, attendees underscored Uzbekistan’s expanding capabilities in the outsourcing domain, particularly in response to increasing service costs in Japan’s traditional outsourcing markets.

The results of the meeting were notably fruitful. The company 87Solution declared its intention to open an office in Uzbekistan utilizing the One Stop Shop service. Additionally, several other firms, including Techno Support Design, Graphinica, and Manga Culture, expressed their willingness to outsource graphic design and animation projects to Uzbek IT companies.

Sapporo: New Collaborations and Opportunities in Game Development

On October 17, the IT Park Uzbekistan delegation visited Sapporo, where they engaged in a series of meetings with Japanese gaming and content firms, including Sega Corporation, Infiniteloop, DeNa Co, Rocket Studio, Born Digital, Aiqve One, among others.

The conversations concentrated on potential collaborations within the gaming sector. Representatives from Sega Corporation and Infiniteloop highlighted a lack of qualified professionals and increasing operational expenses in traditional outsourcing locations like Vietnam and China. In light of this, Uzbekistan is being recognized as an emerging hub for game development and software engineering.

Later that same day, the second presentation event, the Uzbekistan Outsourcing Session in Sapporo, occurred, featuring 23 companies such as Ecraftman, TaskDo, Hokkaido Intellect Tank, Ciel Zero, Docon, Experis, Toyota Tsusho, Esplandia, Sapporo SDGs, and Ikeuchi Group.

During his speech, Akihiro Sakurai, Adviser to the Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, underscored that collaboration with Uzbekistan is becoming more appealing due to the nation's favorable business climate and the cultural similarities between the two countries, which promote trust-based partnerships.

Following the meetings, Ecraftman confirmed plans to establish an office in Uzbekistan through the One Stop Shop service. Additionally, Hokkaido Intellect Tank, TaskDo, and Ciel Zero indicated their willingness to outsource graphic design and animation projects to Uzbek IT firms.

Negotiations and Future Actions

As a result of the visit, IT Park Uzbekistan forged valuable connections with over 50 Japanese companies, with practical negotiations already underway with ten of them. Current discussions involve pilot projects, legal registration, and the recruitment of development teams.

Numerous companies have expressed interest not only in outsourcing partnerships but also in setting up representative offices and joint ventures in Uzbekistan.

In the near future, offices for Ecraftman, Kushiro, NextOne, and 87Solution are anticipated to open in Uzbekistan. Furthermore, outsourcing contracts exceeding USD 2 million are expected from Graphinica, Manga Culture, Techno Support Design, Hokkaido Intellect Tank, TaskDo, and other firms.

Furthermore, the plans entail coordinating a series of collaborative seminars with the Information-technology Promotion Agency of Japan (IPA) to take place in multiple locations throughout Japan.

Importance of the visit

The results of the discussions held in Osaka and Sapporo indicate that Japanese firms are progressively recognizing Uzbekistan as a developing center for IT outsourcing, game development, and digital content creation.

For IT Park Uzbekistan, this visit not only led to new collaborations and investments but also represented a significant advancement in enhancing the nation’s standing as a dependable technological hub in the region.