Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The program was implemented as part of the ongoing cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank. Its main objective was to raise awareness of new opportunities shaped by global economic transformations, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovation, as well as to support Uzbekistan’s sustainable and competitive economic development through future-oriented strategic planning.

The seminars and training sessions were conducted by Samer Chidiac, an international expert in innovation and future readiness and former innovation leader at Microsoft. During the sessions, participants were introduced to future-readiness concepts, foresight approaches to long-term development planning, new economic models, and practical tools for aligning global development trends with Uzbekistan’s national priorities, institutional reforms, and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

As part of the program, four training seminars were organized with the participation of specialists from the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Institute of Macroeconomic and Regional Studies, covering around 80 participants. In addition, a separate seminar session was held at the Ministry of Economy and Finance for nearly 70 ministry employees.

The final seminar took place at Samarkand State University and brought together around 120 entrepreneurs and representatives of the Samarkand business community.

Throughout the sessions, participants were provided with insights into the role of future-readiness approaches in economic transformation, forecasting economic and technological changes, and developing proactive strategies.

The program also introduced participants to innovation-based practical approaches and tools. Discussions focused on how these tools can be applied in priority areas of economic development, sectoral transformation, and the formation of new models of economic growth.

As a result of the practical exercises, around 60 mini-scenarios were developed to analyze future trends and opportunities. In addition, 8 strategic ideas were presented to support economic diversification, competitiveness, and innovation-driven development.

The sessions placed particular emphasis on the importance of artificial intelligence, data-driven decision-making, digital platforms, and advanced analytical tools in economic development.

This initiative is aimed at strengthening future-oriented approaches at the institutional level within the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as aligning innovation, new technologies, and strategic planning mechanisms with the country’s long-term economic development goals.

At the conclusion of the program, representatives of government agencies, research institutions, academia, and the private sector exchanged views on future development priorities, support for innovation, and measures to ensure sustainable economic growth.

Ministry of Economy and Finance
PR and Communications Department