Tashkent:Uzbekistan is advancing efforts to convert its significant mineral wealth, which includes rare earth elements estimated at $3 trillion, into high-value-added products. This initiative is being undertaken through an industrial partnership inspired by Trkiye's Organized Industrial Zone system.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Ankara-based industrial zone operator OSTIM has signed an agreement with the Uzbek Technological Metals Complex (TMK). This deal aims to develop plans for industrial processing zones, marking a significant step in the collaboration between the two nations.

Preparations have been finalized for over 100 hectares of land across three regions for the project named Future Metals Technoparks. Orhan Aydin, Chair of OSTIM, emphasized that the operator will link Uzbek TMK with Trkiye's high-tech manufacturing network, allowing access to Turkish institutions that are major consumers of strategic materials.

The project leverages OSTIM's experience in Uzbekistan, where it previously engaged in consulting, feasibility assessments, and legislative development for a technology industrial zone in Ohangaron. Additionally, OSTIM is leading the development of the Uzbek-Turkish Organized Industrial Zone in Tashkent. This facility has already drawn foreign investment and expertise, with Turkish firms HEKTAS and EVYAP making direct investments.