The 38th International Olympiad in Informatics kicks off

The 38th International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI 2026) has commenced in Tashkent, marking the first time the prestigious competition is hosted in Uzbekistan.

Due to recent focused efforts on digital education, IT, and artificial intelligence, the country’s digital ecosystem is expanding quickly. Currently, there are over 3,700 IT Park residents, including more than 1,000 companies with foreign investment.

The workforce of resident companies grew from 26,200 in 2023 to 56,000. Meanwhile, the self-employed within the ICT sector, including freelancers, increased from 53,300 in 2023 to 181,000 in 2026.

Uzbekistan is also showing impressive results in global rankings. As per this year’s Dealroom.co report, the country holds the top spot worldwide in annual venture investment growth, with an increase of approximately 540 percent.

IOI 2026 will highlight the country’s technological and educational strengths globally, inspire youth to engage in programming, mathematics, and STEM fields, support talented students, and foster international collaboration.

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N. Usmanova, photos by N. Khaydarov, UzA