UNIDO ITPO Italy has launched a roadshow to promote the two upcoming UNIDO Business Forums in Jordan and Somalia, which began with a kick-off event at UNIDO ITPO Italy premises in Rome on March 27th 2023.

Opening with welcome remarks from the Head of UNIDO ITPO Italy Ms. Diana Battaggia and from Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo Director General Ms. Letizia Pizzi, the kick-off roundtable of the roadshow notably featured the participation as delegates from Jordan and Somalia of Mr. Amin Alasoufi, Director of the Department of Economic Studies and Research at the Amman Chamber of Industry, and Mr. Abdullahi Mohamed Warfa, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Somalia.

Moderated by UNIDO ITPO Italy's Investment Promotion Expert Mr. Francesco Pallocca and Chief Technical Advisor Mr. Dino Fortunato, the roundtable  – also thanks to ad hoc presentations by the two delegates - allowed to promote dynamic business and investment opportunities in Jordan and Somalia to the multiple representatives of the Italian business community also attending the roundtable, and further consolidate business relations among Italy, Jordan and Somalia for inclusive and sustainable industrial development, in line with UNIDO's mandate and the UN Agenda 2030.

Ms. Diana Battaggia, Head of UNIDO ITPO Italy, mentioned that “Jordan, with its strategic location and favorable investment climate, has emerged as a regional hub for trade and investment, particularly in the ICT, agriculture, textile, renewable energy, and tourism sectors”, and that “similarly, Somalia, with its rich natural resources, has significant potential for growth in agriculture, fisheries, and extractive industries. Both countries have a young, educated population that is eager to embrace entrepreneurship and innovation”.

Mr. Amin Alasoufi reaffirmed the importance of considering Jordan as “a land of opportunities", and sent "an open invitation to the Italian investors and companies to consider Jordan and explore the possibility of opportunities and taking advantage of the investment environment available in Jordan to access 1.5 billion consumers around the world."

By the same token, Mr. Abdullahi Mohamed Warfa mentioned that the Federal Government of Somalia "has a clear vision for growth based on good governance and private sector investments outlined in the Economic Revival Strategy," and aims at "creating an enabling environment for trade and investment." He also added that "Somalia welcomes foreign investors" and that "our government is making every effort to improve the investment environment so that our rich land’s resources can be maximized for the benefit of our people, nation, and all investors."

The upcoming “Business and Investment Regional Forum” in Amman on 22nd and 23rd May 2023 will provide a platform for investors to explore investment and technology transfer opportunities in Jordan and develop networks with representatives from the government, international organizations and other participating entities. Conversely, the second edition of the "Italia-Somalia Business and Trade Forum" will be held in Mogadishu on May 30th and 31st 2023 to provide visibility and support to the Somali private sector, promoting Somalia as a business destination to companies from around the world, including those from Italy.

The roadshow by UNIDO ITPO Italy continued with multiple roundtables and company visits across several regions and cities in Italy: on March 28th in Turin at FederCamere, March 29th in Reggio Emilia at Unindustria and Clevertech, March 30th in Bologna at Legacoop Emilia-Romagna and Ferrari Growtech in Mantua, and concluded on March 31st at Venicepromex and Genius Watter in Padua. These locations were identified based on the distribution of Italian regions with high industrial potential in the sectors of interest to the roadshow.