BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 13. Uzbekistan's
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has outlined a sweeping modernization
strategy for the country's ferrous metallurgy sector, calling for
greater use of artificial intelligence, expanded domestic raw
material production, and lower reliance on imports to support the
country's long-term economic growth.


This was reflected in the statement by the press service of the
Uzbek president.


Speaking at a meeting held at the Uzbekistan Metallurgical Plant
in Bekabad, Mirziyoyev said the steel industry will play a key role
in achieving the government's goal of increasing gross domestic
product to $240 billion by 2030, which requires annual economic
growth of 8–9 percent.


"The development of the metallurgical industry must be based on
a sustainable raw material base, competitive products, and the
introduction of modern technologies," Mirziyoyev said.


The president said the sector remains constrained by import
dependence, high production costs and energy consumption, as well
as slow progress in digitalization and artificial intelligence
adoption. He noted that these challenges have become more
significant amid global supply chain disruptions and logistics
uncertainties.


According to the press service, Uzbekistan's demand for sheet
steel, long steel products, pipes, and metal structures has tripled
over the past decade to 5.5 million metric tons. Demand is expected
to exceed 8 million tons annually by 2030, driven by large
industrial, infrastructure, and housing projects.


Mirziyoyev announced a series of measures to strengthen the
industry's domestic resource base. Uzbekistan has 1.5 billion tons
of iron ore reserves, and agreements have been reached with Chinese
partners to produce 650,000 tons of iron ore concentrate annually
from the Surun-Ota deposit. The government also plans to accelerate
development of the Tebinbulak iron ore project and finalize an
agreement to import 700,000 tons of iron ore per year from
Tajikistan's metallurgical sector.


To improve transparency in the scrap metal market, all
transactions involving ferrous scrap will be tracked in real time
through a new electronic platform, E-Lom, scheduled to launch on
Aug. 1. A dedicated government project office will oversee pricing,
competition, and regulatory enforcement.


"All processes related to the circulation of ferrous metals will
be monitored in real time through an electronic platform," it was
said during the meeting.







The government will also establish a specialized company with
$200 million in funding to centrally import raw materials for
approximately 150 small and medium-sized private metallurgical
enterprises, with imported materials to be sold exclusively through
the commodity exchange.


Mirziyoyev placed particular emphasis on expanding value-added
production. It was said that the newly commissioned casting and
rolling complex in Bekabad will create opportunities to manufacture
$1.5 billion worth of products for the automotive, machinery,
agricultural equipment, household appliance, and construction
materials industries.


The president instructed officials to prepare projects for the
production of seamless pipes, cold-rolled steel, precision metal
processing, and 3D printing technologies.


A 90-hectare Uzbekistan Eco-Industrial Technology Park will also
be established at the Bekabad plant, featuring a ferrous metallurgy
research and development center and an internationally accredited
certification laboratory.


Artificial intelligence will be central to the industry's
modernization strategy. The government plans to introduce a digital
transformation program designed to increase equipment efficiency by
20 percent, reduce production costs by 10 percent, cut energy
consumption by 15 percent, and lower maintenance costs and
production downtime by 20 percent.


"It is necessary to make a technological breakthrough in the
industry by expanding the raw material base, reducing import
dependence, widely introducing digital technologies and artificial
intelligence, developing new products, and strengthening
cooperation with the private sector," Mirziyoyev said.


The Center for Economic Research and Reforms has been designated
as the sector's analytical hub and will coordinate research with
leading mining companies, universities, and scientific
institutions. Beginning with the next academic year, the Uzbekistan
Metallurgical Plant will also establish a dedicated ferrous
metallurgy department and introduce a dual education program to
train future specialists.