Sheharyar Tahir

Pakistan - May 12th, 2019

Deputy General Manager, External Relations Directorate - Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA)

From 12th May to 1st June 2019, within the framework of the Delegate Program, UNIDO ITPO Italy hosted in Italy, Mr. Sheharyar Tahir, Deputy General Manager, External Relations Directorate at the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA).

SMEDA is the premier institution of the Government of Pakistan under Ministry of Industries & Production and it has the mandate to provide an enabling environment and business development services to small and medium enterprises and to assist national and foreign investors facilitating access to the incentives offered by the Government and the establishment of their businesses in Pakistan.             

In this context, UNIDO ITPO Italy has been instrumental to create awareness about SMEDA’s activities and investment opportunities in Pakistan among the Italian business community. During the Programme, our office planed a fruitful agenda of meetings with potential counterparts, from institutional stakeholders to Italian companies in several industrial sectors, namely agribusiness, renewable energies; textile and dimension stone.

During his stay, the Delegate had the opportunity to meet Centro Agroalimentare Roma (CAR), Confindustria in Benevento; Pastificio Antonio Pallante (PAP Srl), Interporto/CIS and Bianca Luca and Casarredo, Royal Trophy company, Buffalo Mozzarella cheese factory. In addition, Mr. Tahir met with one of the leading food-tech NGO, Future Food Institute, Padova Promex and Etimos, respectively dealing with Internationalization of SMEs and food processing.               
In addition, the Delegate participated to EXCO 2019, the first and only global expo dedicated to the innovative solutions provided by the actors of development cooperation, during which B2B sessions are arranged with Agro-business related companies including Solar Fertigation; Ponics; Airmec; Integra; as well as with institutions like AssoFoodTec; CESI; ANIMA, Umbria Export.

The meetings pave the way for future collaboration in order to promote joint SME development, trade, joint ventures and other economic cooperation models. The company visits were also useful to understand how innovation and disruptive Italian technologies can help to enhance the development of Pakistani SMEs in some strategical sectors.             

After this program, it is expected to increase the business cooperation between Italy and Pakistan through information sharing, incoming/outgoing delegations. UNIDO ITPO Italy will continue to act as an honest broker in developing linkages between both countries, in the field of business negotiation investment and trade promotion, technological upgrading and entrepreneurial development.