New project to support furniture, clothing and craft industries with EU funding

The Minister of Industry, Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan, presided last wednesday the first meeting of the steering committee of the project entitled “Development of Creative Industries Clusters”, which is implemented by UNIDO with financial support from the EU and the Italian embassy.  Participants in the meeting included representatives of the association of Lebanese industrialists, trade unions of furniture producers, textile producers, handicrafts, interior designers, Kafalat and the Beirut Creative Coalition.

The meeting started with a presentation by the regional director of UNIDO in Vienna, Gerardo Patacconi, who gave an overview of the project and clarified that it favors the dissemination of information and sharing of knowledge through specialised centres which will be available for on-going and potential projects for cultural and creative production.  The project will includes a training component hat will encourage the sharing of best practices.  Patacconi noted that special attention will be given to creating commercial links between institutions that supports coalitions south of the Mediterranean, with the European Union, with international buyers so as to increase sustainability.  UNIDO regional representative, Cristiano Pasini, explained for his part that the project seeks to strengthen productivity on Lebanon in addition to providing support to small and medium enterprises involved in cultural and creative production as well as to increase their competitiveness on the international market, create new employment opportunities, achieve growth in the region and consequently achieve sustainable development.

Minister Hajj Hassan thanked the European Union and the Italian government for funding this project and added that efforts are on-going to conclude agreements with international customers interested in Lebanese products.  He called on the representatives of the attending syndicates of industries to start with the needed preparations to join this project.

Source: Al-Diyar, Al-Safir 12 June 2014