REGIONAL DIMENSIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION–INDUSTRY INTEGRATION IN UZBEKISTAN'S INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT

This article examines higher education–industry integration as an important factor in promoting innovative regional development in Uzbekistan. The study argues that regional innovation performance depends not only on the number of universities, enterprises, and research organizations, but also on the intensity and quality of interactions among them. A comparative regional approach is applied using official statistical data from the National Statistics Committee, government policy documents, and publications of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. The analysis focuses on the regional distribution of research organizations and research personnel, R&D expenditure, implemented innovations, innovative output, the expansion of higher education, dual education, and the development of emerging innovation ecosystems.