UNIDO ITPO Italy took part in the 2024 edition of SIGEP - The Dolce World Expo, held in Rimini from 20th to 24th January 2024, by assisting the participation in the event of the biggest business and institutional delegation from Iraq to SIGEP ever.

Notably, the delegation featured the participation of the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry (MOTI) of the Kurdistan Regional Government Sarwar Kamal Rahem, as well as MOTI Director General of Planning and Follow Up Suar Aziz Ali and MOTI IDIP Project Coordinator Seerwan Kamal.

The Iraqi delegation was also composed of representatives from 10 companies, who showcased their diverse range of products and services and took part in more than 70 B2B meetings with local exhibitors. Most of the companies came to SIGEP in order to acquire the needed technology to expand their operations including the production of ice cream, juices, and frozen products, along with the establishment of frozen and cold storage facilities to support their distribution network across Iraq. One notable participant was the Design District Company, founded by a group of expert women in Erbil, Iraq, in 2014; specializing in interior design for various establishments such as buildings, houses, gyms, spas, and tourism projects, the company aimed to acquire the necessary expertise for the design of buildings in sectors relevant to those of SIGEP. Other prominent participants specialized in trading and food production as well as dried food packaging.

Within the framework of SIGEP, UNIDO ITPO Italy also took part as jury member in the ANGI (National Association for Young Innovators) award for startups, and in the panel session together with IEG (Italian Exhibion Group, Event Organizer) CEO Corrado Peraboni and Vice President of the Italian Senate Gian Marco Centinaio.

The initiative was organized as a part of the project "Investment Promotion for Iraq - Phase II", funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by UNIDO ITPO Italy.