About
Mission and objectives
The institute exists to provide the scientific basis for Uzbekistan's chemical industry to move from exporting raw materials to making high-value products.
Main objectives
- Carrying out applied research and developing technological solutions for industrial enterprises.
- Testing new processes on pilot plants and preparing them for production.
- Training highly qualified researchers and engineers for the chemical sector.
- Developing environmentally clean technologies, including green chemistry.
- Widening international research cooperation and adapting Korean experience to Uzbek conditions.
Legal basis
The idea for the institute goes back to an agreement between the two heads of state reached in November 2017, during the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea.
The institution was established under government decisions taken in 2021 and operates within JSC O'zkimyosanoat.
Funding
The project uses a blended financing model, the first of its kind in the history of Korean science and technology diplomacy.
Sources
- 40 million US dollars — a concessional loan from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) at the Export-Import Bank of Korea, for the building and its laboratory equipment.
- 7 million US dollars — a grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), covering the master plan, capacity building and joint research projects.
- The contribution of JSC O'zkimyosanoat and its obligation to repay the loan.
Location and campus
The institute is being built in the Ulugbek settlement of the Mirzo Ulugbek district in Tashkent.
The building stands on the site of a research, production and education cluster created for the chemical industry.
Construction is under way. According to the master plan, the institute will employ around 130 people, including 104 researchers.
History
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1 November 2017
Agreement between the two heads of state
During the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Korea, the two heads of state agreed to establish a joint chemical research centre in Uzbekistan.
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28 January 2021
Decision to establish the institute and the EDCF agreement
The decision was taken to establish the research and design institute, the Centre for Chemical Technologies. In the same period a concessional loan agreement was signed with the Export-Import Bank of Korea, 40 million dollars of which went to the chemical centre.
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1 March 2021
A chemical cluster announced in Ulugbek
A research, production and education cluster for the chemical industry was announced in the Mirzo Ulugbek district of Tashkent. The institute building is being constructed on that site.
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28 December 2021
Presidential resolution PQ-67
A presidential resolution was adopted on deepening the special strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Korea. The document set out the legal basis for establishing the chemical technologies innovation centre.
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24 August 2022
Project kick-off meeting
The official project kick-off meeting took place in Tashkent. Participants inspected the construction site in the Mirzo Ulugbek district.
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1 March 2023
The first Uzbek researchers in Korea
The first group of Uzbek researchers was admitted to the UST-KRICT School master's programme, studying chemical materials, green chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
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14 June 2024
Visit of the President of Korea to Tashkent
During the visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to Uzbekistan, the chemical technologies centre was mentioned among the results of the two countries' cooperation.
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9 July 2025
Public hearing on the master plan
The institute's master plan was presented at a public hearing in Tashkent, attended by specialists from Uzbekistan and Korea and by industry representatives.
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27 August 2025
Doctoral programme agreements
Agreements were signed with young scientists under the doctoral programme. Graduates commit to working at the institute once they finish their studies.
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22 February 2026
A 90-day training programme began at KRICT
Twenty Uzbek chemists began a 90-day practical training programme at KRICT in Daejeon, covering modern research equipment, instrumental analysis and the reliability of results.
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11 March 2026
The institute's research fields announced
The institute's main research fields were announced: gas and coal chemistry, deep chemical analysis, sorbents, catalysts, and nano- and composite materials.
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27 March 2026
A second group left for training
Under the EDCF programme, a second group of Uzbek specialists travelled to Korea for further training.
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19 August 2026
Trilateral progress review
Representatives of O'zkimyosanoat, KOICA and KRICT met in Tashkent and reviewed the construction and equipment delivery schedule.
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Leadership
Namuna Ilmiyev
Deputy Director for Research
Doctor of Chemical Sciences
deputy.science@placeholder.test
Director's message
The chemical technologies innovation centre is being created to give Uzbekistan's chemical industry a new scientific foundation. Our task is to find scientific answers to the concrete questions the industry faces, and to carry them through to production.
The institute is being built in cooperation with the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology. That lets us build a modern laboratory base and train our researchers to an international standard.
Placeholder text. It will be replaced by the director's own message once appointed.