Shanghai, China - From 10 to 14 July, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Institute of Finance and Development (AFDI) successfully hosted the “Asia-Pacific Industrial Park Leadership Training Event”. The event brought together twenty-nine middle and senior government officials responsible for the development and management of industrial parks and special economic zones from eight countries from Asia and the Pacific region: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Thailand.
The training programme delivered targeted capacity building and skills upgrading sessions for government officials and experts from participating countries. Notably, participants were offered in-depth knowledge on various aspects of industrial parks, such as planning and development, investment and financing, policy framework and coordination with various actors. The workshop created an invaluable platform for exchanging innovative ideas, sharing best practices, and enriching knowledge for industrial park planning, development, and management. It also fostered meaningful interactions among participants and facilitated networking opportunities
Mr. LI Yong, former Director-General of UNIDO, took part in the opening ceremony as a special guest and delivered a motivating speech based on his experience at UNDO and shared insights about the importance of industrial parks to advance sustainable industrialization in developing countries. Mr. Lu Wenbin, President of the Shanghai National Accounting Institute (SNAI), and the Director of UNIDO's Agri-Business and Infrastructure Development Department highlighted the significance the programme and reiterated the importance of industrial parks for economic growth and structural transformation in countries in Asia and the Pacific region. They encouraged participants to exchange ideas, expand professional networks and build long-term partnerships.
During the training heads of delegations from all eight countries delivered presentations on their respective countries’ experiences, best practices and challenges with industrial parks/SEZs initiatives. The presentations were followed by thought-provoking group discussions. Renowned professors and experts delivered lectures and seminars on various aspects of industrial park development, management and operation. UNIDO’s flagship initiatives such as Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme and Agro-Food Park Initiative were presented during the training programme. Study tours were part of the programme, combining theory on on-ground visits to Suzhou Industrial Park, where participants learned about the park’s successful example and modalities for its establishment, management and operation. Participants also visited the facility of Jiangsu China-U.S. Environmental Monitoring. Co., Ltd. and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center.
With support from the Government of China, UNIDO developed the International Guidelines for Industrial Parks and launched the Industrial Parks Platform – IPP. As a step forward in the joint efforts to advance sustainable industrialization towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, this Industrial Park Leadership Training Programme yielded the full benefits of South-South Cooperation and delivered impactful results.
The training also facilitated the establishment of the Industrial Parks Network of Experts targeting Asia and the Pacific region, which in its initial phase will comprise all participants who took part in the leadership training programme. The network aims to foster South-South Cooperation and to provide a solid basis for stakeholders to engage in dialogue, exchange know-how and best practices accumulated through industrial parks development and implementation, share practical solutions and ways to address bottlenecks and challenges. The industrial park network shall ensure the spill-over as well as the continuity and sustainability of knowledge sharing of the industrial park leadership training.
As an organization dedicated to promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, UNIDO will continue supporting Member States in developing industrial parks and special economic zones through similar capacity-building activities in various regions.
For more information, please contact the Industrial Parks Platform team via sipp@unido.org.
Visit our Industrial Parks Platform: http://ipp.unido.org and Industrial Parks E-learning Portal: http://ipp-moodle.unido.org