State vocational schools and technical colleges in Uzbekistan have been officially authorized to establish specialized spin-off companies aimed at launching and commercializing promising student projects. The initiative is reportedly designed to bridge the gap between educational institutions and practical market needs, although skepticism remains regarding the execution pace.

Under the newly introduced regulations, a single startup initiative will allegedly be eligible for grant funding of up to 1 billion soms. These enterprises will focus on developing novel products and technologies derived from student concepts. Furthermore, the authorities have permitted these companies to lease vacant spaces within technical colleges for a period of up to five years.

The local administration has mandated that by the end of 2026, at least one such enterprise must be operational in every region, including the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Tashkent. The Agency for Professional Education is expected to designate the pilot technical colleges for the initial rollout within the coming month.

This development follows previous announcements regarding financial incentives for the higher education sector, where 20 universities boasting superior graduate employment rates were supposedly set to receive 500 million soms annually. Observers note that systemic challenges in practical implementation continue to accompany state-backed economic reforms.

Source: podrobno.uz