Clusters Stimulating Economic Development Discussed at ENID 6th Annual Conference

By: Yassmine ElSayed

CAIRO, Feb. 16 (SEE) - Egypt Network for Integrated Development "ENID" just concluded its sixth annual conference titled “"Clusters and Economic Development in the South" which was held Thursday and Friday at the Jolie Ville Kings Island Hotel in Luxor.

The conference which was held under the auspices of Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouli, focused on clusters as an effective model for stimulating economic development and employment generation in Egypt’s South.

According to a press release distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN Information Centre in Cairo, the panels included discussions about the best practices from the Chinese, Indian and, Moroccan experiences that can address the needs and challenges constraining cluster development in Egypt.

Throughout discussions, participants explored new ways for creating a conducive environment that fosters clusters competitiveness on the national level pinpointing the vital role of the government in collaboration with the business community and NGOs in this respect.

Ms. Randa Aboul-Hosn, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt said “We have been working  in cooperation with the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation since 2012 on the project of ENID to create employment opportunities in Upper Egypt, especially in Qena Governorate and some villages in Luxor and Sohag Governorates through building community skills and providing services to youth and young beneficiaries”.

She added "Clusters and developing clusters goes along with Egypt's strategy for sustainable development: the vision of Egypt 2030 and especially the sustainable development goals"

Around 250 participants were invited to take part, belonging to different fields of specialization including handicrafts, agriculture, textiles, ICT and furniture. In addition to this, academic researchers, policy makers (Ministers, Governors and senior government officials), Egyptian and international investors as well as representatives from civil society and the business community were also invited to share their analysis and sharing their valuable experience on the ground.

ENID project is a joint cooperation between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Egyptian Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation established in 2012. ENID is a comprehensive area-based integrated development initiative addressing the challenges faced by women and youth in development, with a specific focus on poverty reduction and employment generation at local levels. It works mainly in Egypt’s second poorest governorate of Qena and also in some areas in Luxor and Sohag.