Digitalizing The Governance of Scientific Institutions in Uzbekistan: Policy Reforms, Platforms, And Performance

This article examines Uzbekistan’s digitalization reforms in the governance of scientific institutions between 2017 and 2024. Unlike high-income economies, where information systems were gradually integrated, Uzbekistan represents a case where digitalization was used as a deliberate policy instrument. The study evaluates whether these reforms improved transparency and innovation capacity within the national science system. The research applies comparative–historical policy analysis to presidential decrees, national strategies, and reports of the Agency for Innovative Development, using international benchmarks such as the OECD Digital Government Index and the World Bank’s GovTech Maturity Index for comparison. Findings show that reforms began with the establishment of the Ministry of Innovative Development in 2017, continued with platforms such as HEMIS, daraja.ilmiy.uz, interaktiv.oak.uz, and E-IJRO, and were accompanied by expanded state funding in 2024. Uzbekistan’s position in the Global Innovation Index improved relative to 2015, although progress plateaued in 2024..