Agency for Innovative Development under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan

During the event, information was presented about the ongoing efforts to digitalize the system within the framework of the “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy.

The “Digital Uzbekistan – 2030” strategy outlines the main directions of the country’s digitalization policy. In accordance with this document, specific tasks have also been defined for the digitalization of scientific and innovative activities.

In line with these goals, the Agency for Innovative Development is carrying out extensive work to coordinate and advance the digital transformation of the sector.

Specifically, over the past five years, 13 information systems have been implemented within the Agency’s structure to support the digitalization of scientific and innovative activities. These systems currently serve more than 90,000 users.

In addition, 11 types of internal document workflows related to administrative operations have been fully digitalized. The number of digital services has reached eight — three of which are available through the Unified Interactive Public Services Portal (YAIDXP), while the remaining five are provided through the Agency’s respective information systems. In 2024 alone, 39 types of data exchanges were integrated into the Digital Government system.

To further enhance the level of digitalization, the Agency has launched three information systems in pilot mode and improved two existing systems over the past year. Specifically, the following platforms have been launched: “Academic Mobility” Program (https://akadem.ilmiy.uz), Unified Electronic System for Organizing Foreign Scientific Internships (https://internship.ilmiy.uz), Startup Platforms (https://startup.ilmiy.uz). Additionally, two systems have been upgraded: Unified Electronic Platform for State Scientific Programs (https://loyiha.ilmiy.uz) and Unified Electronic System for Coordinating Postgraduate Education (https://daraja.ilmiy.uz).

Using these information systems, the application review process has been streamlined, human error minimized, and both processing time and the amount of printed paperwork significantly reduced. All procedures can now be monitored online, allowing decisions to be made based on data analysis.

The formation and monitoring of State Scientific Programs is one of the key areas coordinated by the Agency. In recent years, the number of applications submitted for competitions announced in this area has sharply increased. To ensure that applications are reviewed within the timeframes specified in the regulations, the platform https://loyiha.ilmiy.uz was developed, and today it has nearly 10,000 users.

Due to the conveniences created, the number of applications submitted for competitions in 2024 increased 2.5 times compared to 2023. Additionally, out of the 43 processes requiring digitalization in the formation and monitoring of State Scientific Programs, 30 have already been digitalized, with 13 of these processes automated to reduce human involvement. Importantly, despite the growing number of applications, ongoing measures have succeeded in shortening the review times. Specifically, before 2023, the average duration for reviewing applications—from submission to funding approval—ranged from 8 to 14 months. In 2024, this period was reduced to between 5 and 9 months.

Coordination of postgraduate education is another key area of the Agency’s work. The number of postgraduate students has been steadily increasing year by year. Specifically, the number of researchers has grown sevenfold over the past five years, reaching nearly 30,000 today. To provide convenience and reduce time and resource expenditures, the Unified Electronic System for Coordinating Postgraduate Education — https://daraja.ilmiy.uz — was introduced. Currently, the system has 85,000 users. Through this system, 53 out of 54 processes required for digitalization in this area have already been digitized.

Despite the increased workload in other areas of the Agency, the digitalization efforts have successfully reduced the service times for participants in scientific and innovative activities. Specifically, the average application review periods have been shortened by approximately 3 months in the “Academic Mobility” program, 2 months in the Foreign Scientific Internships program, and 2 months in competitions announced under the Startup Project Support initiatives.

Between 2025 and 2027, the development of 14 new information systems and the improvement of 3 existing systems are planned to digitalize the fields of science and innovation and optimize related processes. With the implementation of these information systems, a unified digital ecosystem for science and innovation, along with a comprehensive monitoring system covering all operational processes, will be created. By 2027, the number of information systems is expected to reach 24, digital services to increase to 21 (including 6 on the Unified Interactive Public Services Portal and 15 through other information systems), and the user base to expand to 140,000.