The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) held a "Smart City Roadshow and Export Forum and Consultation" in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Wednesday, the two organizations said Sunday. At the event, 11 Korean companies applying innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) in transportation and telecommunications, video surveillance, and safety and disaster management conducted more than 70 cooperation consultations with about 40 local ordering agencies and leading companies. Uzbekistan is Central Asia's largest market with a population of 38 million. In September 2020, the country announced "Digital Uzbekistan 2030" and is accelerating national digitalization, including smart cities. In particular, it established the New Tashkent Development Agency to modernize the capital and has been pursuing the "New Tashkent Project" since 2023. "The New Tashkent Project is Uzbekistan's top-priority development project, and detailed projects will be ordered in phases through 2030," said Achilov, a director at the New Tashkent Development Agency. "Having confirmed Korean smart city technologies and experience applicable to the project through this roadshow, we want to be transferred Korean smart city development and operational know-how." GBiSoft, a Korean contactless biosignal recognition system company, identified promising local customers in cooperation with UniconUz, a state-owned enterprise under Uzbekistan's Ministry of Science and Technology. At the consultation venue alone, it secured government agencies including the Ministry of Defense and the Postal Service, as well as major aviation and mining companies, as potential customers, and discussed contracts worth 25 billion won over the next three years. Uzbekistan's smart city market is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 11%, from $62 million (about 91 billion won) in 2025 to $89 million in 2029. The hands-on experience gained through entering Uzbekistan is also expected to work favorably for participation in projects in neighboring Central Asian