ASSESSING THE ROLE OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES IN REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH ACROSS THE REGIONS OF UZBEKISTAN USING INTENSITY COEFFICIENTS AND CLUSTER ANALYSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20689479Keywords:
special economic zone, regional economy, cluster analysis, k-means, intensity coefficient, economic growth, Uzbekistan.Abstract
This article evaluates the role of special economic zones (SEZs) in regional economic growth, using the
regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan as a case. Rather than in absolute values, SEZ indicators are measured as intensity
coefficients relative to the overall economy of each region, which removes the effect of regional size. Drawing on data for
2018–2024, two composite indices were constructed – the role of the SEZ in the economy and the growth of that role – and
the regions were grouped into clusters using the k-means and hierarchical methods. Four strategic groups emerged: leading,
developing, stabilized, and underdeveloped regions. The analysis shows that SEZ effectiveness is sharply differentiated
across regions and that there are substantial differences in how investment is converted into production.
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