Overview & History
The Uzbek-Japan Innovation Center of Youth (UJICY) was established on October 25, 2015, based on a memorandum of cooperation between the governments of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Japan, and began its activities in 2016. The center houses four laboratories: a chemical and petrochemical laboratory, a mining and deep mineral processing laboratory, an energy, renewable energy, and energy conservation laboratory, and a mechanical engineering and materials science laboratory. These laboratories collaborate with Japanese universities and research institutions, including Nagoya University, Tsukuba University, Teikyo University, Akita University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kyushu University, and Yokohama National University, to advance their research.
Between 2016 and 2023, researchers at UJICY authored over 350 research papers, with several published in major international journals alongside Japanese scientists. The center actively supports young researchers, facilitating co-creation among industry, government, and academia. Equipped with state-of-the-art research equipment, UJICY fosters research, technological development, and commercialization.
From January 2019 to March 2024, the first phase of the “Uzbek-Japan Innovation Center of Youth Research Capacity Strengthening Project” was implemented through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). A second phase began in August 2024. During this period, UJICY staff, including 17 master’s and doctoral students, participated in short-term (3-6 months) and long-term internship programs in Japan.
Additionally, JICA established the “Mirai Fund,” a grant targeting joint research between UJICY and Japanese institutions. This funding has supported projects in environmental protection, mining engineering automation, chemical synthesis of new materials, and metrology and standardization. In 2023, UJICY launched a satellite laboratory for research on natural fossil resources in collaboration with Akita University. In 2024, the center initiated a SATREPS project in hydrogen energy, an international joint research program addressing global challenges in partnership with Japan.
