Foreign Experience in Infrastructural Support of Small Business Activity and Directions for its Adaptation to Uzbekistan

This article examines international experience in the infrastructural support of small business activity and identifies promising directions for adapting effective foreign practices to the socio-economic and institutional conditions of Uzbekistan. Small businesses play a crucial role in promoting employment, generating household incomes, increasing economic diversification, stimulating innovation, and strengthening regional economic development. However, the effectiveness and sustainability of small enterprises depend not only on their internal financial and managerial capabilities but also on the quality and accessibility of the surrounding business infrastructure. In this context, business incubators, technology parks, industrial and innovation clusters, consulting and information centers, financial-support institutions, digital platforms, logistics infrastructure, training and skills-development centers, and export-promotion organizations constitute important elements of an integrated entrepreneurial ecosystem. The study analyzes the principal approaches used in economically developed and emerging countries to create favorable infrastructure for small businesses, with particular attention to institutional coordination, access to finance, digitalization of business services, innovation support, entrepreneurship education, market access, and integration of small enterprises into regional and international value chains. The analysis demonstrates that successful foreign models are generally characterized by the combination of public policy measures, private-sector participation, development institutions, local government support, and digital infrastructure. Particular importance is attached to the principles of “one-stop” business services, simplified administrative procedures, targeted financial assistance, public-private partnerships, mentoring, technological modernization, and mechanisms for facilitating access to domestic and foreign markets. Based on the comparative analysis, the article proposes directions for adapting selected international practices to Uzbekistan.