On 20-21 March, Albania held its first workshop on industrial policy development, under the Programme support, in Tirana as part of its closer alignment with the EU industrial policy and best practices. Facilitated by UNOPS, this workshop is part of the “Knowledge for Reform Action in the Western Balkans” programme, which focuses on harmonizing Albania’s industrial policy with EU standards and promoting sustainable and inclusive growth. The workshop is the first internal sounding board to kick off the Programme’s technical support assignment in collaboration with UNIDO.

A delegation of government officials from the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, headed by Deputy Minister Endrit Yzeiraj, and the Albanian Investment Development Agency, participated in discussions on global trends, the significance of industrial policy for EU integration, and strategies for Albania's industrial development. The discussions were focused on Albania's current context, particularly in areas related to competitiveness and inclusive growth, as highlighted in the Albania 2023 EU Country Report.

A key objective of this assignment is to identify priority sectors for the country's industrial development and outline a strategy that can incorporate social, environmental and economic goals. The workshop underscored the need for a policy that addresses future opportunities within the industry sector, particularly in green technology and digitalization.

The completion of this assignment will strengthen Albania’s position in the EU accession negotiations by improving its competitiveness and growth capabilities.