UNIDO ITPO Germany is present in 6 different locations across Europe and Africa. Its network of German and European Stakeholders coupled with expertise of local national advisors in Africa build the cornerstone of UNIDO ITPO Germany’s work: To foster investments and technology transfer in Africa.
UNIDO ITPO Germany is strategically located at the UN campus in Bonn and is an active member of the local UN family. The United Nations has been running offices in Bonn since 1951. In 2006, the UN campus was officially inaugurated by the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, with the “Langer Eugen” as the main building. Since 1996, the UN presence in the city has grown steadily. Currently, 24 UN organizations are based at the UN campus in Bonn.
The organizations at the UN campus are all supporting the overarching goal to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and focus on climate change, land degradation, biodiversity and ecosystem services, wildlife conservation, volunteerism, health, human security, disaster risk reduction, tourism, education and training as well as the achievement of the Global Development Goals.
ITPO Germany supports the mission of the UN Bonn campus of shaping a sustainable future. The office engages closely with the UN Bonn organizations and administration and is committed to supporting the cooperation between UN organizations and the city of work in Bonn. ITPO Germany collaborated closely with the technology mechanisms of UNFCCC on cleantech as well as UNCCD on land management. Partnerships with other relevant UN agencies are planned for other priority sectors that ITPO Germany is looking into.
The Berlin office opened in 2023 and is strategically placed in Germany’s capital city in order to foster cooperation with political stakeholders, business-associations as well as larger companies. Further, the office focusses on the establishment of sustainable and resilient global supply chains, digitalization and green transition.
As Germany’s largest city by population, Berlin is a hub for innovation. Not only is the city an important location for political events, but it is also the place where most business-associations are present. Further, Berlin has a well-established start-up culture and is well-known for its promotion of innovative ideas.
The branch office in Berlin is located at the International Trade Centre (IHZ) and shares its office with the well-established United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The close proximity to UNDP is another example of fostering synergetic collaboration between UN-agencies.
UNIDO is headquartered at the Vienna International Centre (VIC). Officially opened in 1979, about 5000 employees from more than 125 countries are working in 20 UN-agencies to achieve the agenda 2030 and beyond. Vienna is one of four main locations of the United Nations besides its headquarters in New York and further main offices in Geneva and Nairobi.
In order to keep strong ties and foster synergetic collaboration with the UNIDO Headquarters, ITPO Germany has strategically placed staff in Vienna. Further, ITPO Germany is also contributing to create synergies with the ITP Network coordination unit and actively support engagements to foster cross-country collaboration.
The West African state is one of the fastest growing economies worldwide. Since more than 10 years, Its GDP is steadily increasing while in 2021 alone, the economy experienced growth by 7%. Especially the agribusiness sector is of high importance as Cote d’Ivoire is the world’s largest producer of cocoa and an important player in the coffee, cashew, palm oil and rubber industry. The country with roughly 30 million inhabitants is now aiming to diversify its economy and strengthen the position as a gate to francophone Africa.
Since 2021, UNIDO ITPO Germany has placed a national advisor in Cote d’Ivoire’s economic hub Abidjan in order to connect local businesses to technology providers from Germany and Europe.
Nigeria is the biggest economy on the African continent and with more than 200 million inhabitants the most populous country in Africa. This number is expected to double until 2050 which is why the Nigerian consumer market has a high growth-potential in the future. The country is currently diversifying its economy as oil and gas are still the biggest contributors to its economy. Agribusiness, health and sanitation, ICT (Information- and communications technology) as well as financial services are growing sectors. Further, infrastructure development such as the construction and energy sectors are of high importance due to increasing demand within the country.
ITPO Germany’s national advisor for Nigeria is placed in Lagos to support German and European companies with matchmaking opportunities.
The country with about 45 million inhabitants possesses vast opportunities in the agribusiness sector: about 73.5 million hectares are suitable for agriculture while only 26 million are currently cultivated. The yet untreated and fertile soil coupled with rich water sources from the Nile River and a suitable climate for multiple harvest seasons throughout the year, represent a massive opportunity to satisfy the domestic- and international markets. Through its proximity to the Arab-peninsula, Sudan has high potential for exporting food products. Further, the country is well-connected to the European market through the Suez Canal and to neighboring states which represent further potential for exports. Apart from agribusiness, Sudan’s energy, infrastructure and logistics sectors are of high importance.
Based in Khartoum, ITPO Germany has placed a national advisor in Sudan’s capital city to foster technology transfer and investments.
