Role of Industrial Parks in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Focus of the Baku Conference

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) organized the “Europe and Central Asia Regional Conference on Industrial Parks as a tool to foster local industrial development” in Baku from the 17 to 18 April 2012 that focused on the role of a new generation of eco-industrial parks in the diversification of Eastern European and Central Asian economies.

Around sixty high-level government officials and experts discussed the potential of industrial parks, areas zoned and planned for industrial development, to become innovation hubs that promote new industries and technologies. They also examined ways in which eco-industrial parks can contribute to sustainable development, and their role in attracting financial resources, as well as the role of good governance in making such sites more effective.

Experts in the field presented successful models of industrial parks operating in the region, highlighting the value of innovative approaches and the technical support offered by UNIDO. Conference participants also visited the Sumgait Technology Park in Azerbaijan to gain a better understanding of the operations of the local industrial park.

The two-day event was organized together with the Azerbaijani Ministries of Economic Development, and Industry and Energy, and was supported by the Government of Slovenia. It was attended by representatives from Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, FYR Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Ukraine.

Representatives from numerous international organizations also took part, including from the Asian Development Bank, the Eurasian Partnership Foundation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan, the German Technical Cooperation Society (GIZ), the Islamic Development Bank, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO), UNDP, and USAID.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Olga Memedovic
Chief
Europe & NIS Programme
Tel: (+43 1) 260 26 4676
E-mail

Mr. Farrukh Alimdjanov
Industrial Development Officer
Competitiveness, Upgrading and Partnership Unit
Tel: +431-26026-5090
E-mail

Ms. Solomiya Omelyan
Programme Office
Europe & NIS Programmer
Tel: +43 1-26026-3818
E-mail