Creative Industries as a New Asset Class: Insights from the Tashkent International Investment Forum 2026

As part of the 5th Tashkent International Investment Forum 2026, the panel discussion “Creative Industries and the Cultural Economy: A New Emerging Class of Investment Assets”  took place on 16 June 2026. The event focused on an economic sector that is gaining increasing importance worldwide: the creative and cultural economy.

The discussion centered on the role that creative industries can play in the future as an independent asset class within the international investment landscape. Experts from business, culture, technology, and finance discussed the evolution of the creative economy into a global multi-billion- and even multi-trillion-dollar market. They also highlighted its potential to contribute to the diversification of national economies and to generate stable long-term investment returns.

This year's forum was held under the theme “Investment Resilience: New Frontiers, New Partnerships” and brought together international investors, government representatives, development banks, and companies from various industries. Once again, it became clear that future economic development will not be driven solely by traditional infrastructure and industrial projects, but increasingly by knowledge-based and creative sectors.

For ECM, these developments are of particular interest, as innovative urban development, architecture, digital technologies, and creative value chains are becoming ever more interconnected. The discussions at the forum demonstrated that creative industries will play an increasingly important role in shaping modern urban spaces and sustainable economic structures.