2026 Industrial Park Leadership Training Program Held at SNAI

On the morning of June 29, the opening ceremony of the 2026 Industrial Park Leadership Training Program was held at the Shanghai National Accounting Institute (SNAI). Co-hosted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and SNAI (also known as the Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Institute), the program brought together 27 mid-to-senior level government officials and industrial park stakeholders from 12 Asia-Pacific developing countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

In his keynote speech, Li Yong, former Director-General of UNIDO and former Vice Minister of Finance of China, noted that this year marks the 60th anniversary of UNIDO and the fourth successful year of this training series, making it a truly significant occasion. With joint efforts, the active participation of representatives from Asia-Pacific countries in this training program in China, and the mutual learning it fosters, will strongly promote South-South cooperation and revitalize multilateralism. Since the launch of reform and opening-up, China has vigorously developed special economic zones, industrial parks, and pilot free trade zones. These dynamic platforms have injected strong momentum into China's development. UNIDO has been privileged to support China's park development and to facilitate the international dissemination of China's experience, benefiting a wide range of developing countries. He expressed the hope that the training program would go from strength to strength.

Yi Xiaozhun, former Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization and former Vice Minister of Commerce of China, pointed out that the current global economic, trade, and industrial development landscape is fraught with increasing uncertainties and challenges, placing greater pressure on developing countries. In this context, industrial parks play an even more critical role as "testing grounds" for industrial policy and "incubators" of economic competitiveness. From the iconic Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and Suzhou Industrial Park, to the nation-wide network of national-level economic and technological development zones and pilot free trade zones, as well as the emerging wave of eco-industrial parks and zero-carbon parks, all reflect China's steady progress toward high-quality economic development. He expressed the hope that this training program would fully leverage its role as a demonstration platform and adequately showcase China's achievements and experience in industrial park development.

Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, noted that this training program is a model of practical South-South cooperation. Industrial parks serve as important vehicles for accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and require multi-stakeholder coordination. South-South and triangular cooperation can facilitate the exchange of policy experiences, industrial models, and technological capabilities among developing countries. China is a major contributor to South-South and triangular cooperation. The Global South is not only a recipient of knowledge but also a producer of solutions. She expressed the expectation that, through South-South and triangular cooperation, industrial park development can be further advanced, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrial development and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs.

Zhang Feng, Party Secretary of SNAI, and Yao Shenhong, Director of UNIDO's Directorate of Strategic Planning and South-South Cooperation, delivered welcome remarks on behalf of the co-organizers. They stated that the collaborative hosting of this series of training programs on industrial park development aims to deepen South-South cooperation and enhance capacity-building and knowledge-sharing on industrial park development among developing countries. They hoped that participants would engage in in-depth exchanges, gain valuable insights, and build consensus during the program.

During the thematic forum on "Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones in the Asia-Pacific Region," guests from Pakistan's Ministry of Industries and Production, Cambodia's Cabinet Office, the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce of China, and Southeast University shared their practical experiences and research findings on topics such as national-level park development planning, China's overseas economic and trade cooperation zones, and green park planning and construction. In the specialized lecture sessions, Chinese experts from the Department of Coordination on Pilot Free Trade Zone Port Construction of the Ministry of Commerce of China, the Export-Import Bank of China, and the Secretariat of the National Alliance of National-Level Economic and Technological Development Zones for Green Development shared China's practices and effective experiences in pilot free trade zone development, park investment and financing, and green park development. Experts from UNIDO's Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau, the Division of Agri-Food and Bioeconomy, and the Division of Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency introduced flagship initiatives on industrial park platforms, as well as technical solutions for integrated agro-industrial parks and eco-industrial parks. UNIDO representatives and project officers from various sub-regions and countries in the Asia-Pacific region further presented specific UNIDO park-related projects developed for their respective countries.

In the interactive workshop sessions, participants engaged in group discussions, collaborative solution design, and presentation of outcomes on the opportunities and challenges of developing integrated agro-industrial parks and eco-industrial parks, taking into account multiple dimensions including policy, financing, technology, and sustainable development. The participants were fully engaged and displayed great enthusiasm in their discussions.

The training program also organized several site visits and field trips in Shanghai and Suzhou. In Shanghai, guests and participants visited Huawei's Lianqiuhu R&D Center, the Midea Global Innovation Park in Shanghai, and Shanghai True Instrument Co., Ltd., to gain an in-depth understanding of these companies' innovations and applications in digital and green technologies, as well as developments related to park construction. The delegation also visited the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lingang New Area, Laogang Eco-Environmental Protection Base, Yangshan Deep-Water Port Phase IV Automated Terminal, and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. They were deeply impressed by and highly appreciative of China's remarkable achievements in open trade, industrial innovation, infrastructure development, and digital and green development.

In Suzhou, the participants visited the Suzhou Industrial Park Exhibition Center, the Artificial Intelligence Experience Hall of Suzhou International Science and Technology Park, and Jiangsu Zhongmei Environmental Monitoring Co., Ltd., where they gained insights into the development outcomes of the Suzhou Industrial Park, innovative applications of industrial artificial intelligence technologies, and advancements in environmental quality monitoring and pollution control technologies. They also expressed strong interest in and willingness to introduce relevant advanced technologies.