Cooperation between Uzbekistan and South Korea is expanding steadily, including in the field of critical minerals. The Uzbekistan Technological Metals Complex (TMK) is developing this partnership as an integrated system encompassing scientific research, technology transfer, advanced materials, and new export opportunities.
TMK is currently implementing joint projects with leading South Korean research and industrial partners, including KITECH, KAIST, KIGAM, Korea Powder Metallurgy, and CAMP2. These projects focus on the deep processing of critical minerals, advanced alloys, powder metallurgy, magnetic materials, artificial intelligence, and smart metallurgy.
One of the practical outcomes of this scientific cooperation is the development of 16 new advanced alloys in partnership with Sejong University and the University of Business and Science in Uzbekistan. This initiative is creating an important scientific and technological foundation for developing materials with new properties, testing them under industrial conditions, and subsequently introducing them into production.
A key pillar of the partnership is the Uzbek-Korean Scientific and Technological Center for Rare Metals and Hard Alloys, operating within TMK’s R&D Park. The center is being developed under the Korean side’s ODA program, with funding of USD 11.2 million. Its research activities focus on critical minerals, high-purity metals, nanomaterials, and pilot technologies.
The cooperation extends beyond technology. Ten TMK engineers are currently undergoing professional training in South Korea. Through this program, they are gaining hands-on experience in advanced manufacturing processes, modern metallurgical technologies, and research activities.
In the industrial sector, TMK Smart Powder and Korea Powder Metallurgy plan to establish the production of high-precision automotive components in Uzbekistan based on their long-term partnership. The project envisages an annual production capacity of 50 million units, with the products intended for export markets.
At the same time, TMK continues negotiations with major South Korean companies and institutions on the processing of critical minerals, the introduction of advanced metallurgical technologies, the supply of products to the South Korean market, and the development of new investment projects.
Cooperation between TMK and South Korea is evolving into a comprehensive industrial partnership focused on the deep processing of critical minerals, the development of advanced materials, the establishment of high-tech production facilities in Uzbekistan, and the supply of finished products to global markets.
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