Global Policy Incubator (GPI)

Policy implementation support in Rwanda 🇷🇼

Intensifying regional economic ties is seen as a key stepping stone for integrating the Western Balkans Six (WB6) economies into EU markets. In 2020, an Action Plan for establishing a Common Regional Market (CRM) was endorsed by WB6 leaders. With the implementation period of the Action Plan coming to an end, it was time to take stock of the progress made in operationalizing the measures foreseen under the “Industrial Area” and to analyze the recent performance of industry in the WB6. It was a great pleasure to present the preliminary results of our assessment, which was commissioned by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) Secretariat, and to discuss them with the RCC Working Group on Industrial Development. There is progress to recognize at various fronts, including on the WB6 economies’ efforts to make their industries greener. At the same time, the assessment also points to areas where efforts should be reinforced, not least when it comes to deepening regional trade and value chains. Many thanks to the RCC Secretariat for the invitation to Tirana!   Christian Timm

How inclusive has Rwanda’s recent industrialisation trajectory been? Which industrial sub-sectors have driven job creation and which ones are paying the highest average wages? And how is female employment distributed across the sub-sectors? These and other questions Gbenoukpo Robert Djidonou from Global Policy Incubator (GPI) discussed with the participants of our 5th and final analytical capacity-building workshop under the #EQuIP Rwanda project. Drawing on different data sources, they found that the food products and wearing apparel sub-sectors were the biggest employers in manufacturing. The food industry accounted for over 45% of total manufacturing employment, while wearing apparel made up 23%. The primary drivers of job creation between 2014 and 2020 were the sectors of machinery and equipment manufacturing, textiles, and the printing and reproduction of recorded media, indicating Rwanda's transition towards more medium and high-tech jobs. Meanwhile, the female labor force participation rate in Rwanda has remained steady at 56% from 2010 to 2022. However, women's employment is heavily concentrated in low-tech, labor-intensive activities. For instance, 69% of workers in wearing apparel are female, and 62% in textiles. In contrast, women make up only 8% of the workforce in fabricated metal products and 10% in machinery and equipment. We would like to congratulate all the participants on the successful completion of the analytical training program and express our gratitude for their commitment and enthusiasm. We very much look forward to meeting the team during the next series of workshops that will focus on industrial policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation. GPI is working on the EQuIP Rwanda project together with Rwanda Development Board #RDB, the Ministry of Trade and Industry #MINICOM, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning #MINECOFIN, the National Industrial Research and Development Agency #NIRDA, the National Institute of Statistics #NISR and the Rwanda Private Sector Federation #RSF.

Countries across the world are facing environmental pressures. Rwanda is no exception. Overcoming these challenges will require global action towards a profound transformation of the way we produce and consume. Greening industry will be a crucial piece of the puzzle. The 4th workshop under the #EQuIPRwanda project facilitated by Thomas Bernhardt explored the different dimensions of such green transformation and pathways towards it tailored to Rwanda's unique context. It also discussed how “going green” creates opportunities for Rwanda. To enable a deeper understanding of the environmental performance of Rwanda’s industrial sector, the team investigated the following key questions: 🔋 How intensively does Rwanda's industry utilize energy, materials, and water? 🌍 In international comparison, how efficiently does the country’s industry transform these resources into outputs and economic value, and where is there room for improvements? ☣ How polluting is it in terms of GHG emissions? ♻ How much is the country relying on renewable energy sources? 🌿 To what extent is the country already engaged in the production and trade of environmental goods (“green products”)? Global Policy Incubator (GPI) is working on the EQuIP Rwanda project together with Rwanda Development Board (#RDB), the Ministry of Trade and Industry (#MINICOM), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (#MINECOFIN), the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (#NIRDA), the National Institute of Statistics (#NISR) and the Rwanda Private Sector Federation (#PSF). #GreenIndustry #Rwanda #Sustainability”

Deglobalisation, geopolitical tensions, global concentration of investment and the sustainability imperative are some of the key trends in Foreign Direct Investment #FDI. According to a new UNCTAD report, this necessitates a re-evaluation of traditional strategies to harness FDI for inclusive and sustainable development. It is particularly challenging for smaller developing countries to identify their FDI strategies in this new context. Global Policy Incubator (GPI) is supporting countries with capacity development for the design of evidence-based investment strategies and policies in order to navigate this complex reality. Which opportunities do you see? Is FDI still a key component for the economic diversification and industrialization of developing countries?

Jordan Industrial Competitiveness Report published. Great to see that this in-depth diagnosis is now available publicly. Global Policy Incubator (GPI) collaborated with UNIDO to train and coach a team of national analysts from The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply and private sector representatives to develop this work. Thank you Thamer Shoshan, Smeeta Fokeer, Sulafa Mdanat for the collaboration. Philipp Neuerburg Christian Timm

EQuIP Rwanda project moves forward very fast! Our second workshop (https://lnkd.in/dQZrab8A) was quickly followed by the third one which was focused on how to diversify industrial production and exports, touching questions like: ☸ Are Rwanda’s productive and manufacturing export structures concentrated or diversified? 🌐 Which are the dominant export products and export markets? ❔ How does the degree of diversification of Rwanda’s productive and export structures compare to peer or benchmark countries? 🛣 What are promising avenues to diversify (further)? 🎯 Which attractive export markets can be identified – and how successful is the country tapping into them? Gbenoukpo Robert Djidonou guided the workshop team through data collection and analysis to practical exercises and conclusions. Thanks again Thomas Bernhardt for online support.   Global Policy Incubator (GPI) implements EQuIP Rwanda project together with #RDB, #MINICOM, #MINECOFIN, #NIRDA, #NISR and #PSF.

⏭ Have #Rwanda’s productive and export structures moved towards #higher-technology activities or products? ⤴ In which sub-sectors has Rwanda achieved export upgrading? Where has it managed to move up international value chains? 📶 How much effort is the country putting into the development and adoption of new technology in general and of #Industry4.0 technologies in particular – and how successful is it? These and other questions were in focus of our discussion with the participants of a 5-day workshop held in Musanze, Rwanda.   Part of the EQuIP Rwanda Project that we are implementing in cooperation with #RDB, #MINICOM, #MINECOFIN, #NIRDA, #NISR and #PSF, this workshop was dedicated to exploring methodologies for the assessment of (technological, export and quality) #Upgrading and #ValueAddition (growth) in the manufacturing sector, its sub-sectors and specific value chains.   Facilitated by Global Policy Incubator (GPI) policy expert Gbenoukpo Robert Djidonou and supported online by project director Thomas Bernhardt, the workshop was a great opportunity for experts from the project partner institutions to deepen their conceptual knowledge and strengthen their capacity to analyze upgrading processes at the macro, sub-sectoral and product levels. Participants were also engaged in practical and policy-oriented peer-to-peer discussions and hands-on exercises to enhance their learning experience.