DERC - Digital Economy Research Center under the Ministry of Digital Technologies

What DERC - Digital Economy Research Center under the Ministry of Digital Technologies does

DERC (Государственное учреждение «Центр Исследований Цифровой Экономики» / State Institution "Digital Economy Research Center") is a government research body established by Presidential Decree No. PP-4699 (dated 28 April 2020, operational from 28 April 2021) under the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Headquartered in Tashkent with a staff of approximately 9, the institution conducts analytical and practical research on digital economy development, assesses the impact of digitalization processes on the national economy and public administration, develops long-term digital transformation strategies and methodological frameworks for deploying smart and emerging technologies, and manages the open data dissemination that contributed to Uzbekistan's 44th-place global ranking (1st in Central Asia) in the Open Data Index. Its public-facing remit has expanded to explicitly include artificial intelligence, evidenced by recent tenders for AI laboratory equipment at partner universities and joint projects with UNDP on AI's economic impact.

The center's outputs are research publications (including the scientific electronic journal "Цифровая экономика" / "Digital Economy"), policy recommendations, impact assessments, and open datasets — delivered to ministries, state bodies, academia, journalists, and the public free of charge. Its go-to-market is institutional: DERC engages directly with government ministries under the Ministry of Digital Technologies, coordinates with international development partners including UNDP, CAICT (China Academy of Information and Communication Technologies), and Huawei, and collaborates with universities (Tashkent University of Information Technologies, Inha University in Tashkent, Amity University in Tashkent) for joint conferences, internships, and academic research. DERC has no commercial revenue model and does not sell products or services; it is funded entirely through the Uzbekistan state budget and project-based international grants.

DERC's leadership is headed by Director Vladimir Vladimirovich Kravchenko (appointed 2022), whose prior experience includes senior roles at Uzbektelecom, COSCOM (Ucell), and Digital Holding. Deputy Director Zukhriddin Shadmanov brings a background spanning Goskomstat, the Electronic Government Center, and the Cabinet of Ministers. The center's organizational structure includes departments for research on digital economy development, long-term digital development perspectives, implementation and development of digital technologies, assessment of digitalization processes efficiency, and an editorial board for the "Digital Economy" journal. Strategic significance comes primarily from its statutory mandate and international partnerships rather than scale: as of January 2026 it remains a small, policy-focused institution with outsized influence on Uzbekistan's national digital transformation agenda through 2030.

Name

DERC - Digital Economy Research Center under the Ministry of Digital Technologies

Legal name

Государственное учреждение «Центр Исследований Цифровой Экономики»

Website

https://derc.uz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DERC is a 9-employee state research institution under Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies that conducts digital economy and e-government policy research, impact assessments, and open data dissemination for government ministries, academia, and the public, funded by state budget and international grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Policy Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAAAE

Government Digital Service & eGovernment (Service Delivery, IDs, Portals)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Central/Federal Government Administration

Keywords

• Digital economy research
• E-government policy analysis
• Open data management
• Digital transformation strategy
• Government research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tashkent

HQ country

Uzbekistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Funding: DERC is a state institution funded through the government budget of Uzbekistan, allocated via the Ministry of Digital Technologies and Communications. As a public research institution, it does not operate on a commercial revenue model. Its activities are funded through state programs, international development assistance, and project-based grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DERC is a state research institution under Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies that conducts analytical and practical research on digital economy development, assesses the impact of digitalization processes on the national economy and public administration, and develops long-term digital transformation strategies. The center also manages open data initiatives, formulates methodological frameworks for deploying smart and emerging technologies, and publishes the scientific electronic journal "Digital Economy." Its research outputs and policy recommendations are delivered to government ministries and agencies and made publicly available through its website.

Product overview

DERC operates as a single unified government research institution focused on digital economy research rather than a commercial product company. The center's offerings consist of research services, policy analysis, and publications including the scientific electronic journal "Цифровая экономика" (Digital Economy). The center conducts impact assessments of digitalization processes, analytical research, practical research, and manages open data initiatives for Uzbekistan's digital economy development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Economy Research and Analytical Services Research and analytical services covering digital economy development, e-government policy analysis, digitalization impact assessments, and long-term digital transformation strategy development for government ministries and agencies in Uzbekistan.
• Scientific Electronic Journal "Digital Economy" (Цифровая экономика) A scientific electronic journal published by DERC covering digital economy topics, research findings, and analysis related to Uzbekistan's digital transformation, available to researchers, students, journalists, and the general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Uzbekistan ranked 44th globally and 1st in Central Asia in Open Data Ranking (March 2021), driven by open data development work involving Goskomstat, international organizations, and government agencies.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025UNDP is a key international development partner of DERC, collaborating on the project 'Digital Economy and Artificial Intelligence.' Joint meetings were held on 11-13 February 2025 at FrankFort Hotel and ITPark. The project covered topics including the state of Uzbekistan's digital economy, AI's impact on business and economy, opportunities for digital startups, international digitization experience, and the role of government and private sector in innovation development.
• CAICT (Chinese Academy of Information and Communication Technologies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024CAICT (China Academy of Information and Communication Technologies) is a key strategic partner collaborating with DERC on Uzbekistan's digital economy development. DERC staff participated in the International Symposium on Computational Standards and Applications in Shanghai (November 2024). CAICT has prepared a report titled 'Uzbekistan Digital Economy Overview and Vision 2030' in cooperation with DERC, providing a comprehensive strategic roadmap for Uzbekistan's digital economy development through 2030.
• HuaweiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Huawei collaborated with DERC in the context of the digital economy symposium in Shanghai, China (November 2024), alongside CAICT. The collaboration involves joint participation in discussions on Uzbekistan's digital economy development conditions and IT ecosystem for foreign investors.
• Amity University in TashkentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA memorandum of cooperation was signed between DERC and Amity University in Tashkent. The memorandum aims to work on new joint projects and partner events, ensure seamless working relationships for training new staff, conduct joint conferences, seminars, academic research, internships, improve efficiency and practicality of the educational process, study best global practices in information technology and their actualization, enhance quality, develop human resources, and assist in graduate employment.
• Ministry of Digital Technologies and Communications of Uzbekistan (Мининфоком)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDERC was established under and reports to the Ministry of Digital Technologies and Communications of Uzbekistan (Мининфоком). The ministry provides institutional oversight, funding, and policy direction. DERC's activities are aligned with the ministry's strategic priorities for digital economy and e-government development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• e-Governance Academy (Estonia): Estonia-based non-profit that advises governments worldwide on digital transformation, e-governance, and cyber security. Comparable in mandate (advancing e-government and digital society) though with broader geographic scope and project-based funding rather than direct ministerial placement.
• Digital Government Authority (Saudi Arabia): Saudi government entity responsible for national digital government strategy, oversight of government digital services, and digital economy policy. Functionally analogous to DERC's role within Uzbekistan's Ministry of Digital Technologies, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• National Information Society Agency (NIA), South Korea: Korean government agency under the Ministry of Science and ICT driving national digital government strategy, e-government services, and digital economy R&D. Similar mandate to DERC in terms of coordinating government digitalization and producing national indices, with much larger scale.
• Smart Nation Group (Singapore): Singaporean government unit under the Prime Minister's Office driving the Smart Nation initiative, including digital economy, e-government, and digital society strategy. Comparable role as a national coordinator for digital transformation policy and research, though operating in a more mature digital economy.

Others

• OECD Digital Economy Policy Division: OECD division producing the Going Digital Toolkit, digital economy outlooks, and policy guidance. While Uzbekistan is not an OECD member, DERC's research framework and indicator selection align closely with OECD methodologies used in policy benchmarking.
• World Bank Digital Development Global Practice: World Bank unit funding and advising on national digital economy strategies, including in Central Asia. Comparable through its production of Digital Development diagnostics and country assessments, though at global rather than national scale.
• ITU (International Telecommunication Union): UN specialized agency for ICT that produces global ICT indices, policy research, and digital economy assessments. Relevant as the international reference body whose rankings (IDI, ICT Development Index) shape DERC's research agenda and Uzbekistan's standing.

Direct peers

• China Academy of Information and Communication Technologies (CAICT): CAICT is China's official think tank for ICT and digital economy policy under MIIT. It is the closest functional peer to DERC: a government-affiliated research body producing digital economy assessments, indices, and policy recommendations, and is also DERC's strategic partner on the Vision 2030 report.

Regional players

• Tashkent University of Information Technologies (TUIT): Uzbekistan's leading ICT university and a DERC partner. It is comparable not as a competitor but as a domestic ecosystem participant producing academic digital economy research and training the next-generation talent pool DERC draws upon.

Emerging players

• UNDP Digital Team: UNDP's digital practice supports governments on digital transformation, AI policy, and digital economy assessments. Active partner of DERC in Uzbekistan, with overlapping mandate on national digital economy assessments but operating across many countries rather than as a single national institution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dercuz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about DERC - Digital Economy Research Center under the Ministry of Digital Technologies