A meeting dedicated to the development of creative economy of Turkmenistan, its potential, and prospects was held at the «Iş Nokady» coworking centre. The event was attended by representatives of government organisations, creative businesses, public associations, as well as local and international experts.
Ms. Claire Allbless, a representative of the British Embassy in Turkmenistan, addressed the audience with a welcoming speech. She emphasised that over the past few years, the diplomatic mission has repeatedly had the opportunity to see high creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial potential of the country.
– We aimed to share British experience and expertise to facilitate the development of creative economy of the country. Turkmenistan boasts a rich cultural heritage, unique traditions, talented artisans, and a growing community of innovators. All of these are valuable assets that deserve high recognition and promotion both nationally and internationally, Ms. Allbless noted.
An important stage in promoting the creative economy in the country was the first International forum «Creative and innovative economy of Turkmenistan», held in Ashgabat in the spring of 2025 with the support of the Government of Turkmenistan in collaboration with UNDP, the British Embassy, the Ministry of finance and economy, and the National commission for UNESCO. In addition, a delegation of creatives of the country took part in the regional forum Creative Central Asia 2026, which was held in Tashkent.
Relatively recently, a new Department for the development of creative and innovative economy was opened within the Union of economists of Turkmenistan whose mission – to promote the modernisation and diversification of the national economy.
The first steps of the department and the group of specialists working with it were to study the state of the sector and develop a project to map the creative and innovative industries of the country. Although the results obtained are still preliminary, the efforts undertaken, as noted by international expert Dana Shayahmet, already indicate a growing impetus for the development of this sector.
In her presentation, the expert presented current data on Central Asia, where Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan currently hold leading positions, developing IT, media, design, film, and fashion industries at the national level. In the regional context of Turkmenistan, the creative economy as a systemic approach is only just beginning to take shape, but already holds enormous potential thanks to rich culture and large pool of talented professionals of the the country.
At the end of the meeting, participants discussed practical issues of sector assessment and preparing businesses for effective market operation. Experts particularly noted the high potential and activity of Turkmen youth, who are proving themselves in the IT sector and creative startups.
You can join the community and become a member of the creative and innovative economy development Department now by contacting the Union of economists of Turkmenistan or by filling out a form at open networking sessions. The work of the Department covers areas such as creative industries and design, information technology and media, crafts, fashion and the art sector, and innovative entrepreneurship.
