President Mirziyoyev Launches $150 Million Data Center Construction in Tashkent

On October 21, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the IT Park located in Tashkent’s Mirzo-Ulugbek district and took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the second phase of the data center project.

Two years ago, under the first phase funded by $200 million in investments, six office buildings of 20-25 floors and a modern congress hall were constructed on an area of about 4 hectares, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.

IT Park hosts incubation and acceleration programs and implements projects in information technology, fintech, logistics, e-commerce, online education, biotechnology, and other sectors.

Currently, IT Park has 3,200 resident companies employing over 14,000 specialists. Last year, the volume of services provided by residents reached $1.6 billion, and by the end of this year, it is expected to exceed $2.5 billion. For the first time, service exports are expected to surpass $1 billion.

According to the “Uzbekistan - 2030” strategy, more than 300,000 young people are planned to be provided with high-paying jobs in the information technology sector. Foreign experts estimate Uzbekistan’s potential in artificial intelligence alone at $10 billion.

“I am confident that this major initiative, which we are launching today, will make a significant contribution to achieving our ambitious goals and further strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and foreign investors,” the president said.

Under the project, IT Park’s territory will be expanded by 1.5 times. In partnership with Saudi company Data Volt, a 12 MW data center worth $150 million will be constructed. At subsequent stages, an additional $3 billion will be invested to increase total capacity to 500 MW.

In addition, six buildings will be constructed on the site, including an Artificial Intelligence Center, a Space and Future Technologies Center, two 20-story office buildings, a service center, and a shopping center.

The complex is set to become a modern “artificial intelligence hub” based on advanced technologies, innovation, and knowledge.

The president laid a capsule at the foundation of the second phase of IT Park and officially launched the construction work.