Uzbekistan's economic reform agenda, launched under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in 2017, marked a turning point in the country's development trajectory. Central to this agenda has been the promotion of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which collectively account for over 90% of registered businesses, approximately 75% of employment, and more than half of gross domestic product. Despite a significant legislative overhaul and substantial international financial support, a persistent and well-documented gap remains between what policies promise and what business owners experience in practice. This paper offers a descriptive and exploratory account of Uzbekistan's MSME and innovation landscape. Drawing on reports from the World Bank, OECD, WIPO, and governmental sources, the paper maps the key policy measures introduced since 2017, examines the structural barriers that constrain MSME growth—particularly in access to finance, technological adoption, and competitive markets—and situates Uzbekistan's trajectory within its Central Asian regional context. The central argument is that visible, procedural reforms such as business registration simplification and digitalization of public services have outpaced the deeper, structural changes that small firms actually require to innovate and scale. Understanding the nature and dimensions of this policy–practice gap is the starting point for any serious discussion of Uzbekistan's 2030 development ambitions.
Publication Date: 2026-06-21