On August 21, 2026, the Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with Wildberries, held a practical seminar titled “Opportunities for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Business in Uzbekistan Based on Electronic Commerce. Experience of Implementing the Wildberries Electronic Platform”.

The event brought together more than 25 researchers and scholars representing 14 leading research centers and higher education institutions of the republic.

The purpose of the seminar was to examine opportunities for developing entrepreneurship through the introduction of modern electronic platforms, expanding e-commerce trade in domestic goods on both domestic and foreign markets, creating additional opportunities for local entrepreneurs to sell products abroad, increasing the export potential of small business entities, and introducing modern business tools to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises on international markets.

During the seminar, G.Sh. Usmanov, a representative of the Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship, delivered a presentation on the development of the platform economy, its impact on entrepreneurship, and the expansion of opportunities for small business entities.

The presentation noted that e-commerce has substantially transformed traditional business models on a global scale. The development of electronic trading platforms has contributed to the formation of new business models and the creation of a modern architecture of interaction among suppliers, manufacturers, and consumers. In this process, the consumer purchasing goods and services through electronic platforms has become one of the key participants in the new digital business environment.

Particular attention was paid to the dynamics of global e-commerce development. Its share of world trade currently exceeds 20%, with more than 3 billion people worldwide making online purchases. A significant proportion of consumers use electronic trading platforms on a regular basis: approximately 31% make online purchases monthly, and approximately 20% do so at least once a week.

According to data presented at the seminar, in 2026 e-commerce is expected to grow by 12.5% in Latin America, 8.9% in the Asia-Pacific region, 9.5% in the Middle East and North Africa, and approximately 5% in Europe.

Countries with developing economies - including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Indonesia, India, China, and others — are making a substantial contribution to the development of global e-commerce.

In the course of the discussion, participants examined existing opportunities and reserves for expanding e-commerce trade by small business entities, and discussed the current level of involvement of domestic entrepreneurs in operating on international and regional marketplaces.

Special attention was given to the export potential of e-commerce. It was noted that the use of electronic trading platforms creates additional opportunities for small business entities to expand exports, enter new foreign markets, promote domestic goods, and attract new customers in other countries.

Wildberries representatives T. Temirov and M. Tursunov presented information on the Wildberries e-commerce platform ecosystem, the conditions under which entrepreneurs operate on the marketplace, and opportunities for expanding trade operations through various services and digital tools for managing a company’s profile on the platform.

The seminar concluded with an exchange of views among representatives of research and educational institutions, the Graduate School of Business and Entrepreneurship and Wildberries on the further development of e-commerce, the enhancement of entrepreneurs’ digital competence, and the expansion of opportunities for domestic business to enter foreign markets.

The holding of such events contributes to the formation of an expert dialogue among the research and academic community, government institutions, and representatives of digital business, as well as to the development of practical approaches to advancing e-commerce and increasing the export potential of small and medium-sized business entities in Uzbekistan.