According to Timur Kornilov, Managing Director of the Skolkovo Foundation, the Skolkovo Artificial Intelligence Center is scheduled to open in Tashkent between 2027 and 2028. This information was shared by him at the FINOBOD 2026 forum.
Kornilov spoke on November 13 during the plenary session titled 'Digital Uzbekistan – Innovation Hub of Central Asia.' He announced that the Foundation signed an agreement with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation of Uzbekistan back in September. The approved roadmap allows the project to move toward launching the center in Tashkent.
Session moderator Anna Zabroda recalled that a year earlier there were reports about plans to create an AI center in Uzbekistan under the Skolkovo brand and develop a portfolio of joint pilot projects for implementing IT technologies in key economic sectors. She noted that she had not found any published updates on this matter.
When asked to clarify the timeline, Kornilov confirmed that the target period is 2027–2028. He also added that the initiative was first proposed in 2024 at a forum attended by leaders of Central Asian republics.
The proposal included establishing a Skolkovo branch in Uzbekistan and forming an expert council on artificial intelligence and the digital economy. Kornilov mentioned that Skolkovo is already operating in Russia, where an AI center with over 140 employees functions, whose internal projects have been implemented in various economic sectors and continue to develop.
He emphasized that the Foundation prioritizes the safe use and application of artificial intelligence and has launched a program for business leaders on applying AI in commercial activities. Furthermore, Kornilov reported that Uzbekistan has approved a list of over 60 projects related to the use of AI in agriculture, industry, healthcare, and other fields.
Skolkovo has been cooperating with Uzbekistan since 2018, when the country joined the CIS Intergovernmental Innovative Cooperation Program until 2030, coordinated by the Foundation. The Foundation's partners in Uzbekistan include the Agency for Innovation Development and ministries responsible for agriculture and digital development. Within this program, a commercialization center operates in the special economic zone and IT park of NUU.
According to Kornilov, about 70 out of 3500 companies registered in Skolkovo operate in Uzbekistan, which he considers a relatively low figure, and stated that the Foundation will work to increase this number. Among areas with high potential, he named artificial intelligence, agritechnologies, industrial and energy digitalization, smart city solutions, cybersecurity, and medical and educational technologies.
