CONTENTS€¦ · finished the year with 14,805 companies and more than 61,700 employees. Some...

October/November 2018 www.fDiIntelligence.com 3

CONTENTS

04 Global winners

05Winners – regional

08Winners – SMEs

10Winners – large tenants

13Winners – specialism awards

14Winners – editor’s choice awards

16 Q&A with Samir Hamrouni,chief executive of the WorldFree Zone Organization

18 Bespoke awards

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Leading lights: DMCC (pictured on front cover) is fDi’s Global Free Zone of the Year for 2018, while Coyol Free Zone (top) andLadol Free Zone (bottom right) are also recognised. Dr Samir Hamrouni (bottom left) of the World FZO is interviewed on page 16

GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF THE YEAR2018

4 www.fDiIntelligence.com October/November 2018

THE WINNERS OF fDi’s GLOBAL FREE ZONES OF THE YEAR 2018 ARE CELEBRATED, WITH THE UAE’S DMCC WINNING THE

TOP PRIZE ONCE AGAIN. BY CATHY MULLAN

Global Free Zones of the Year 2018 – Winners

Winner – GlobalDMCC, United Arab Emirates

For the fourth year running, the United Arab Emirates’ DMCC has seen off all other competition to be crowned fDi’s Global Free Zone of the Year for 2018. Almost 2000 new businesses were estab-lished in the zone in 2017, and DMCC finished the year with 14,805 companies and more than 61,700 employees. Some notable investments in 2017 include Saudi Arabia-based transportation and logistics company Bahri Group, which relocated to the zone’s One JLT low-rise business tower, expanding to more than 2900 square metres. UK-based Deliveroo opened its first kitchen incubator con-cept in the zone, with a second also planned by the end of 2018. Deliveroo joined investors from a wide range of industries already present in the zone’s 30-plus commercial towers, including US-based toy company Hasbro, financial giant American Express and home and personal care company Colgate-Palmolive. DMCC plays host to major industry conferences and events, 155 of which were organised in 2017. These included the sixth edition of the Dubai Precious Metals Conference, which was attended by 450 delegates. The Dubai Diamond conference was attended by more than 400 delegates from 13 coun-tries. Some major developments are planned for DMCC in the coming years, with its Uptown Dubai venture projected to created 10,000 jobs over the next dec-ade. The zone is also focused on develop-ing a smart district to ensure the com-munity of the zone (which numbers about 100,000 people) can live and work in a state-of-the-art environment.

“BEING RECOGNISED AS THE NUMBER ONE FREE ZONE IN THE WORLD FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW INDICATES THE STRENGTH OF DMCC’S GLOBAL REPUTATION AS A TRULY CONNECTED MARKETPLACE”Gautam Sashittal, CEO, DMCC

“THIS ACCOLADE DEMONSTRATES THAT OUR LONG-TERM STRATEGY TO LEAD FROM THE FRONT IS WORKING, AND THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO DELIVER FOR THE COMPANIES WE HOST”Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC

Winners – global

GLOBAL FREEZONESOFTHEYEAR2018

5October/November 2018 www.fDiIntelligence.com

Rank Freezone Countryyyr1 DMCC UnitedArabEmirates2 Amata City Chonburi Thailand3 Free Zone Pirot Serbia4 Łódź Special Economic Zone Poland5 Hamriyah Free Zone United Arab Emirates6 PanamaPacifico Panama7 ShanghaiWaigaoqiao Free Trade Zone China8 Mauritius Freeport Mauritius9 Jebel Ali Free Zone UAE10 Aequs Special Economic Zone India

fDiGlobal FreeZonesof theYear–Top10ZonesGlobally

HighlyCommendedAmata City Chonburi, Thailand

A newcomer to fDi’s Global Free Zonesof the Year awards and located nearChonburi on the coast of the Gulf ofThailand, Amata City Chonburi hasbeen highly commended in this year’sawards. The number of peopleemployed in the zone increased by18.4% to more than 215,000 employeesin the judging period. This was thehighest increase of all zones in thecompetition. Amata City Chonburienjoys access to major infrastructure tothe benefit of investors, including seaports, airports and highways to meetsupply chain and logistics needs.Sweden-based Autoliv, which suppliessafety systems for the automotiveindustry, has a presence in the zone, asdoes Japan-based tyre companyBridgestone and automotive companyToyota. Amata City Chonburi boasts anextensive automotive cluster, and sup-ports its investors with state-of-the-artinfrastructure and facilities.

Winner–AfricaMauritius Freeport, Mauritius

Located on the country’s north-westcoast, Mauritius Freeport has beencrowned Africa’s winner. The zoneoffers investors undisturbed access tothe Indian Ocean and acts as a gatewaybetween Asia and Africa. Marketingcampaigns have been carried out inSouth Africa, France and the UK toinform potential investors of the bene-fits of investing in the zone, which con-tributes 0.7% to national GDP. Home to280 companies employing more than3500 people, the zone has seen anuptake in space occupied in recentyears. Almost 170,000 square metreswas occupied in 2015, which hadincreased to 300,000 square metres by2017, and large tenant companiesincreased by 54.5% between 2016 and2017. Ship building and repair companyChantier Naval de l’Ocean Indieninvested $23m in 2017 to create an addi-tional 200 jobs.

Highlycommended–AfricaKenya Export Processing Zone, Kenya

Recognised in fDi’s Global Free Zones ofthe Year for the first time, Kenya ExportProcessing Zone (KEPZ) has been highly

commended for Africa. With severalnew zones in the process of being estab-lished, KEPZ is going through a phase ofdevelopment. This aligns with the gov-ernment’s ‘Big Four agenda’ – a policyto improve the economy in four keyareas; manufacturing, food security,affordable housing and adequatehealthcare. The zone is particularlyfocused on advancing textiles manufac-turing and the infrastructure on offerencourages investors to export theirgoods. Investors in the zone can alsotake advantage of Kenya’s trading part-nerships, including Comesa (the eco-nomic common market agreement for19 countries in eastern and southernAfrica) and AfCFTA (the AfricanContinental Free Trade Area) which is atrade agreement between 44 countriesin Africa.

Winner–Asia-PacificAmata City Chonburi, Thailand

See global awards.

Highlycommended–Asia-PacificShanghaiWaigaoqiao Free Trade Zone,China

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zonehas been recognised again by fDiMagazine in the awards, this timehighlycommended for the Asia-Pacific region.The zone has gone to some lengths toimplement policies and processes thatmake it more open and favourable forinvestors, and in 2017 it welcomedinvestments from some major investorsincluding Germany-based electronicscompany Siemens, Netherlands-basedoil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell andUS-based financial company MorganStanley.More than 38,000 companies arebased in the free zone and over 270,000people work there, located next to theworld’s biggest portwith the largest han-dling capacity.

Winners–regional



Winner–EuropeFree Zone Pirot, Serbia

Free Zone Pirot, located in Serbia’ssouth-east, has been named the leadingfree zone for Europe. The zone offersinvestors a set of attractive incentives toencourage job creation. The number ofmanufacturing investors in the zoneincreased 22% between 2016 and 2017,while the number of SME companies inthe zone increased by more than 5%.Investors in the zone enjoy excellentconnectivity for the export of goods.Tigar Tyres, the zone’s anchor tenant,which has invested €210m in recentyears, recently invested an additional€27m in the first phase of a logistics andwarehousing operation in the zone. Afurther 400 hectares of space is cur-rently available for existing or futureinvestors to take up to develop energy-efficient facilities.

Highlycommended–EuropeŁódź Special Economic Zone,Poland

Home to more than 230 companies in2017, an increase of 12.8% from 2016,Łódz Special Economic Zone is no stran-ger to foreign investment. Some majorcompanies chose to establish in thezone in 2017, including Germany-basedappliance company Miele, whichdecided to set up its first Polish plant inthe zone. Start-ups and SMEs are par-ticularly welcome at Łódz SEZ, and cantake advantage of the Start-up Sparkaccelerator and training programmeStrefa RozwoYou, easing some of theburdens faced by small and new busi-nesses. In 2017, Łódz SEZ expanded intothree additional subzones, increasingits space by 338 hectares, and was thepilot zone for a new 5G implementa-tion project.

OVERALLWINNERDMCC, UAEHighly commendedAmata City Chonburi, Thailand

REGIONALWINNERSWinner –AfricaMauritius Freeport, MauritiusHighly commended–AfricaKenya Export Processing Zone, KenyaWinner –Asia-PacifiificAmata City Chonburi, ThailandHighly commended–Asia-Pacifiiif cShanghaiWaigaoqiao Free Trade Zone,ChinaWinner –EuropeFree Zone Pirot, SerbiaHighly commended–EuropeŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandWinner –AmericasPanamaPacifico, PanamaHighly commended–AmericasZona Franca de Bogotá, ColombiaWinner –Middle EastDMCC, UAEHighly commended–Middle EastHamriyah Free Zone, UAE

SMEWINNERSWinner –GlobalDMCC, UAEHighly commended–GlobalŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandWinner –Asia-PacifiificAequs Special Economic Zone, India

Highly commended–Asia-Pacifiiif cRamanujan IT City SEZ, IndiaWinner –EuropeŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandHighly commended–EuropeKatowice Special Economic Zone,PolandWinner –AmericasCayman Enterprise City, Cayman IslandsHighly commended–AmericasCeara Free Trade Zone, BrazilWinner –Middle EastDMCC, UAEHighly commended–Middle EastMasdar City Free Zone, UAE

LARGETENANTWINNERSWinner –GlobalAmata City Chonburi, ThailandHighly commended–GlobalHamriyah Free Zone, UAEWinner –AfricaOil & Gas Free Zone, Onne, NigeriaHighly commended–AfricaMauritius Freeport, MauritiusWinner –Asia-Pacifiiif cAmata City Chonburi, ThailandHighly commended–Asia-Pacifiiif cShanghaiWaigaoqiao Free TradeZone, ChinaWinner –EuropeFree Zone Pirot, SerbiaHighly commended–EuropeSt Petersburg Special Economic Zone,RussiaWinner –AmericasPanamaPacifico, PanamaHighly commended–AmericasManaus Free Zone, Brazil

Winner –Middle EastHamriyah Free Zone, UAEHighly commended–Middle EastJebel Ali Free Zone, UAE

SPECIALISMSWINNERSAerospaceAequs Special EconomicZone, IndiaAgribusiness Sohar Port and Freezone,OmanAutomotiveWalbrzych Special EconomicZone Invest-Park, PolandBPO, KPOand IT Zona Franca de Bogotá,ColombiaConstructionKhalifa Industrial Zone, UAEFinancial and professional servvvr icesBirminghamCityCentreEnterpriseZone,UKITRamanujan IT City, IndiaLogisticsMauritius Freeport, MauritiusManufacturing Aequs Special EconomicZone, IndiaMedical devicesCoyol Free Zone,Costa RicaR&DMasdar City Free Zone, UAERenewable EnergyMasdar City FreeZone, UAESteelCeara Free Trade Zone, BrazilTextilesKenya Export ProcessingZone, Kenya

EDITOR’SCHOICEAWARDSOnes towatchOntustik SEZ, Kazakhstan;Free Economic Zone Balti, MoldovaConsistency through times of changeForeign Trade ZoneNo64, USWorkforce readiness StarachowiceSpecial Economic Zone, PolandInnovation award Łódź SpecialEconomic Zone

Winners

CHOOSECOYOLFREEZONESite for eight of the top 30medical device companies

WINNEROFAWARDS FOR:• Best free zone for expansions• Best free zone formedical equipment• Best free zone for academic collaborations• Best free zone for recruitment assistance

Consistently awardedand recognisedbymultiple entities among the Top FreeZones in Latin America and TheCaribbean, Coyol Free Zone (CFZ) offersmuchmore than tax incentives and outstand-ing infrastructure. It also provides provenknow-how in the construction of buildings forthe life sciences industry, and the servicesrequired to support the successful operationof a life sciences company in Costa Rica.

Withanextensionof264acresof land,CFZhosts the operations of 27 companies, eight ofthem among the top 30 medical device com-panies of theworld:Medtronic, CardinalHealth,Philips, Abbott Vascular, St.Jude Medical, Smith&Nephew,Microvention-TerumoandHologic.

With a popular nearshore location forcompanies from North America, and strategicoffshore locations for Europe, Costa Rica is acountry strategically situated in CentralAmerica. It has a populationof fivemillion peo-ple andCFZ is centrally located inAlajuela, witheasy access to the main highways, ports andthe International Airport Juan Santamaria. Itswide range of real estate options satisfies theneedsof eachcompany, all of thembuilt understrict quality standards, including FM Global,ISO9001 and LEEDCertification.

Providing a fully redundant electrical grid,intelligent digital meters, renewable sourcesfor generation and storage of electricity andthe most innovative trends of A/C systems,CFZ has become the first Smart Park in Costa

Rica and has the capacity to offer the best andmost efficient quality of energy to ensure suc-cess of the operations of its established com-panies. The park also offers redundancy in tel-ecommunications andwater systems.

ON-SITE SUPPLIERSANDCONTRACTORSBy developing a life sciences cluster with on-site suppliers andcontractors, CFZprovides theideal conditions for original equipment manu-facturers to operate. Strategic suppliers oper-ate within CFZ and include services such aspackaging,molding, extrusion, assembly, sterili-sation (ETO & EBeam) and logistics. The pres-ence of on-site sterilisation services and logis-tics companies, allows the medical devices tobe exported directly from Costa Rica to differ-ent destinations around the world. This meansimportant savings in production, time, trans-portation andwarehousing.

FREE ZONE INCENTIVESCFZ is an area where Free Zone benefits apply,including the special free zone incentives formedical devices companies which can provideup to eight years’ full exception on income taxplus fouradditionalyearsofpartialexemption forqualifying companies. A streamlined approvaland agile customs procedures allow an efficientoperation under the Free Zone system in CFZ,resulting inmore than$1.5bnexports in2017.

TRAINED, COMPETITIVE ANDCOMMITTED HUMAN TALENTCurrently the park offers employment formore than 12,000 people. Due to the strategiclocation, positive social progress indexes, aver-age length of schooling, and the high rate ofpeople with completed university studies

around the area of influence, companies haveaccess to the largest trained, competitive andcommitted human talent pool in Costa Rica.

In order to facilitate the availability andaccessibility of this talented workforce, CFZhas developed strategic programmes that sat-isfy the needs of the companies and createconditions for their success.

Technical high schools, national learninginstitutes, universities and other reputableacademic institutions have become strategicallies for the success of the recruitment pro-cesses. Additionally, a robust academic offerfrom the Technological University of CostaRica, including Master’s Degree programmesin logistics and supply management, medicaldevices manufacturing and manufacturingengineering are taught in an on-site campus.Also a Harvard-related institute (INCAE) pro-vides a full time MBA and multiple executivedevelopment programmes at their campuslocated twomiles away fromCFZ.

CFZsupports thehumanresourcesdepart-ments during their recruitment processes withexclusive programmes that pre-screen candi-dates and introduce them to the basics of theindustry. As a result, people become betterqualified and loyal candidates reducing thetraining period process. Companies also haveaccess toexclusive job fairsandtoa robustdata-baseof curricula frompeople aspiring to find anopportunity in this industry.

A combination of innovation, technology,social development andenvironmental aware-ness, makes CFZ a key player in the develop-ment and growth of businesses in Costa Rica.

Contact us and learnmore about CFZ:[email protected]

www.coyolfz.com

Sponsored by

SPOTLIGHTONCOYOLFREEZONEADVERTISEMENTFEATURE

“Being awarded Best Free Zone of theYear 2018 in four categories is an honourfor us and reflects our commitment toour clients and our dedication to create afree zone recognised for its innovation,specialisation, and readiness for the chal-lenges of a changing society. At CoyolFree Zonewe strive to become a strategicpartner for the companies that establishtheir operationswithin the park. We pro-vide themwith numerous services thatguarantee the success of their processes,including the development of the capa-bilities of human talent that is necessaryfor the future growth of their business”.

CarlosWong –CEO, Coyol Free Zone



Winner–AmericasPanamaPacifico, Panama

Panama Pacifico offers investors includ-ing US-based computer giant Dell,US-based transportation and logisticscompany FedEx and Germany-basedchemicals business BASF, excellent con-nectivity to serve global markets fromtwo of the three largest ports in theAmericas. The zone implements poli-cies to improve employability, trainingand education, leading to a well-quali-fied workforce for potential investors.As part of a 40-year development planfor the zone, 1400 hectares of land areto be developed and will includemixed-use and green space. The recently devel-oped PanAmerican Corporate Center, a95-hectare industrial space, hosts hi-tech and logistics companies. A 15-hec-tare area is currently under develop-ment and will offer approximately7900 square metres of leasable ware-housing space.

Highlycommended–AmericasZona Franca de Bogotá, Colombia

Colombia’s Zona Franca de Bogotá,located just six kilometres from thecity’s main El Dorado International air-port, was home to 117 multinationalcompanies by the end of 2017. More than80,000 people are employed in the zoneby over 400 companies including Spain-based communications companyTelefonica, UK-based telecommunica-tions company BT and Germany-basedautomotive giant Daimler. The zoneoffers consultancy services to potentialinvestors, including assistance with for-eign trade, financial and legal tools aswell as a financial instrument designedto help companies analyse potentialeffects of customs or tax reforms in arange of sectors. Zona Franca de Bogotáis due to increase its footprint by 10 hec-tares in 2019 as part of a wider expan-sion strategy.

Winner–MiddleEastDMCC, UAE

See global awards.

Highlycommended–MiddleEastHamriyah Free Zone, UAE

Hamriyah Free Zone, an industrial free-trade zone near Sharjah in UAE, experi-enced a 13.2% increase in tenancybetween 2016 and 2017. The zone boastsa deep water port and inner harbourfor industrial investors importing andexporting goods. Plans are in place toexpand the port, container terminal

and container depot areas of the zoneto improve the logistics offering forcompanies. Hamriyah Free Zone intro-duced the Middle East and Africa’s firstfood park in 2017, a 1 million-square-metre area with full world-class infra-structure provided. A food control divi-sion was added to provide value-addedservices to Hamriyah Free Zone, includ-ing training, certification and producttesting facilities.

Winner–GlobalDMCC, UAE

This year’s global winner, DMCC, hasalso been named fDi Magazine’s bestzone for SME companies. The number ofSME companies in the zone increased bymore than 10% between 2016 and 2017,and the figure is now in excess of 10,000companies. DMCC hosts 15 centres forco-working space, and in 2017 addedalmost 3150 square metres of servicedoffices and desks, specifically designedfor SMEs and making working in thezone easier andmore flexible.

Highlycommended–GlobalŁódź Special Economic Zone, Poland

Łódz SEZ offers start-up and SME com-panies two programmes that can helpthem to expand their business. Thefirst, Start-up Spark, is a business accel-erator which combines the experienceof companies such as Procter & Gambleand Ericsson and offers financial sup-port, mentoring, technological sup-port, legal assistance and access topotential clients. Strefa RozwoYou isthe second project, which distributestraining vouchers to investors to coverup to 80% of financing for training,coaching or postgraduate studies forSME employees.

Winner–Asia-PacificAequs Special Economic Zone, India

Located in Karnakata state in south-west India, Aequs Special EconomicZone has been named best zone in Asia-Pacific for SME companies. The zoneoffers incubation facilities for SME andnew start-up companies, which compa-nies can use until units are ready in thezone. These companies can also takeadvantage of incentives such as duty-free imports, tax benefits on exportsand custom exemptions.

Mettte hodologyfDDfDi’s Global FreeZonesof theYearAwards2018acknowledge themost promisingfree zonesworldwide. For this year’’r’sawards, fDDDf i invited free zones, governmententities and investmentpromotionbodiesto complete a short survvrveydetailing theirzone’s attractiveness, facilities and incen-tivesoffered to investors. In total, 79entrieswere received from free zonesacross theworld.

Apanel of judges from fDDDf iwasappointed and studiedeach location.Judgesnominated theirwinningand run-ner-up locations in each region, aswell astheir top zones for theSMEandLargeTenant categories. In addition, some loca-tionswhichwereparticularly outstandinghavebeenacknowledgedwithhonourablementions andbespokeawards. This year,for the first time,wehavecompiled a topten rankingof zones, basedon theweightingmodel as follows.

%increase inoccupied space2016-2017 10

Numberof SMEs2017 1.25

% increase inSMEs2016-2017 2.5

Nominal increase inSMEs2016-2017 2.5

Numberof large tenants2017 1.25

% increase in large tenants2016-2017 2.5

Nominal increase in large tenants2016-2017 2.5

Total numberof employees2017 2.5

% increase innumberof employees2016-2017 5

Nominal increase inemployees2016-2017 5

Total scoresof judges’ results 65

WEIGHTING

“WE THINK OUT OF THEBOX AND FOCUS NOT ONLYON INVESTMENT SITES, BUTALSO ON START-UPACCELERATION, FINANCIALSUPPORT IN TRAINING FORCOMPANIES, VOCATIONALEDUCATION IN AUTOMATIONAND ROBOTICS AS WELL ASTECHNOLOGICALINNOVATION OFTHE ECONOMY”Marek Michalik and Agnieszka Sygitowicz,members of the board, Łódź Special EconomicZone

Winners–SMEs

DMCC:GLOBALFREEZONEOFTHEYEAR2018Dubai’s DMCC emerges ahead of the pack to claim the ‘Global FreeZone of the Year’ award for a record fourth consecutive year

Dubai’s strategic geographical locationis home to business leaders seeking toaccess someof the fastest growingmar-kets in Africa, the Middle East, Asia andbeyond.

In addition, Dubai’s establishedglobal con-nections and robust infrastructure meanscompanies can simultaneously reach theimportant cornerstonemarkets of theWest.

Continuous investment in innovative newtechnologies and sectors, combined with theUAE’s plans for Expo2020Dubai, is catalysing anewphaseof growth anddevelopment for theregion and beyond.

There has never been a better time todo business in Dubai, and sitting at the cen-tre of the city’s appeal to international trad-ers is DMCC.

Based in the heart of Dubai – minutesaway from the emirate’s major airports andseaports – DMCCmade history this month byclaiming the Financial Times’ fDi Magazine’sGlobal Free Zoneof the Year award for a recordfourth consecutive year.

Judged across a range of criteria from sus-tainable growth to customer service, frominnovation to thought leadership, DMCCemerged ahead of the pack once again, with60 free zones from around theworld assessedin the 2018 competition.

DMCC’s appeal to business is simple.Backed by world-class infrastructure, prod-ucts and services, DMCC removes barriers totrade and offers a seamless and simple route

to setting up a business in Dubai with 100%ownership.

Representing a market in itself, DMCC is

situated within one of the UAE’s most desira-ble places to live and work, Jumeirah LakesTowers (JLT).

JLT is a thriving business district comprisedof more than 15,000 companies, and a resi-dential community of over 100,000. Since itsinception in 2002, the growth of DMCC hasbeen exponential and all indicators point tothis development continuing in the short,medium and long term.

More than 2000 companies joinedDMCCin 2017. To find out why DMCC continues tobe the destination of choice for ambitiousfirms looking to tap into global trade flowsand take their business to the next level, visitwww.dmcc.ae.

Made for Tradewww.dmcc.ae

“To be ranked the Global FreeZone of the Year for a recordfourth time in a row is asignificantmoment for everyoneconnected to DMCC. Thisaccolade demonstrates that ourlong-term strategy to lead fromthe front is working, and that weare continuing to deliver for thecompanies we host. Takencollectively, DMCCmembercompanies contributemorethan 10% toDubai’s GDP, andplay a critical role in theUAE’seconomic diversification plan.Looking ahead, wewill continueto help the companies withinour free zone to realise theirambitious commercial targets,and together shape the future oftrade” –AhmedBinSulayem,executive chairman, DMCC

“To be the recipient thisprestigious award once again isindeed satisfying and humbling.Being recognised as the numberone free zone in theworld for anunprecedented fourth year in arow indicates the strength ofDMCC’s global reputation as atruly connectedmarketplace,and underscores our track recordof enabling progressivecompanies to tradewithconfidence and grow. DMCCalways aims to outperform andinnovate.” –GautamSashittal,chief executive officer, DMCC

Sponsored by

SPOTLIGHTONDMCCADVERTISEMENTFEATURE

DMCC – SHAPING THE FUTUREOF GLOBAL TRADEHeadquartered in Dubai, DMCC is the world’smost interconnected free zone, and theleading trade and enterprise hub forcommodities. Whether developing vibrantneighbourhoods with world-class propertysuch as Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) and themuch-anticipated UptownDubai or deliveringhigh-performance business services, DMCCprovides everything its dynamic communityneeds to live, work and thrive.

Made for Trade, DMCC is proud to sustainand grow Dubai’s position as the place to be forglobal trade today, and long into the future.

ABOUTDMCC



Highlycommended–Asia-PacificRamanujan IT City SEZ, India

Ramanujan IT City SEZ, located inChennai, provides many good facilitiesfor its 40,000-stongworkforce, includingdining and shopping outlets, as well aspharmacies and foreign exchange desks.Located on Chennai’s IT corridor, thezone offers an opportunity for smaller ITcompanies to be clustered close to majorinvestors, which include US-based bankCiti and internet protocol systems com-pany Cisco.

Winner–EuropeŁódź Special Economic Zone, Poland

See global awards.

Highlycommended–EuropeKatowice Special Economic Zone, Poland

Katowice SEZ has been highly com-mended for SME companies in Europe,due in part to the construction of pro-duction halls for SME companies, theinitial phase of which commenced in2017.Modules from500 squaremetres to2000 square metres are available forSMEs to rent, while an SME businessaccelerator – Kssenon – is being imple-mented. In addition, plans are underway to renovate warehouses in Tychy(which forms part of Katowice SpecialEconomic Zone).

Winner–AmericasCayman Enterprise City, Cayman Islands

There are more than 200 companies inCayman Enterprise City, all of whichare SMEs, leading to the zone beingnamed the best zone in the Americasfor SME investors. The zone builds anenvironment friendly to the start-upscene, with networking events, socialgatherings and crypto currency meet-ups designed to foster a sense of com-munity. The zone also works closelywith investors to help connect withlocal talent.

Highlycommended–AmericasCeara Free Trade Zone, Brazil

A secondary area is under constructionat Ceara Free Trade Zone, in north-east-ern Brazil, specifically for SME tenants.The expansion will cost $15m to com-plete, and is due to become available inthe first half 2019. The zone is locatednext to the Federal Institution ofEducation, Science and Technology withcapacity to train 1200 students per yearand provide companies in the zone witha well-qualified workforce.

Winner–MiddleEastDMCC, UAE

See global awards.

Highlycommended–MiddleEastMasdar City Free Zone, UAE

Masdar City Free Zone, located on AbuDhabi’s coast and close to its interna-tional airport, was home to more than500 SME companies in 2017, an increaseof almost 20% from2016. Hot desks wereintroduced in 2017, offering flexibleand affordable solutions for small com-panies. Entry costs for the zone werealso reduced, which attracted manysuch companies. The zone also runs atechnology start-up accelerator,‘Catalyst’, which is focused on cleantech and sustainability.

Winner–GlobalAmata City Chonburi, Thailand

Located in Thailand’s east economic cor-ridor, Amata City Chonburi hosted 441large tenant companies in 2017 – 64.2%of all its companies. The zone offersinvestors build-to-suit or ready-built fac-tories on flexible leasing terms, and issupporting investors such as Japan-basedhi-tech company Hitachi in establishingstate-of the art manufacturing plants inline with the Thai government’sThailand 4.0 strategy.

Highlycommended–GlobalHamriyah Free Zone, UAE

Billed as the second largest industrialestate in the Middle East, Hamriyah FreeZone boasts almost 1700 large tenants.The zone hosts a 14-metre deep-waterport and seven-metre deep inner har-bour, catering to investors from heavyindustries including petrochemical, oiland gas and marine industries. A newwarehousing and logistics village willconnect to the country’s major high-ways, offering export opportunitiesthrough the country.

Winner–AfricaOil & Gas Free Zone, Onne, Nigeria

A specialist zone for the oil and gasindustry, Onne Oil & Gas Free Zone haswelcomed investments from somemajorinternational companies includingNetherlands-based Shell, Chevron

Winners–LargeTenants

“WE SUPPORT, THROUGHTHE IMPLEMENTATION OFDEDICATED PROGRAMMES,INTEGRATION OF ACADEMICENVIRONMENT, TECHNICALSCHOOLS AND BUSINESS,AND THE IMPLEMENTATIONOF INDUSTRY 4.0”Janusz Michałek, president, Katowice SpecialEconomic Zone Company

ARUSSIANSUCCESSSt Petersburg SEZ general director Tamara Rondalevaoutlines the zone’s offering to prospective investors

In June 2018, the Ministry of EconomicDevelopment of the Russian Federationassessed the St Petersburg SEZ as a100% effective zone. Please describe thefeatures of the project, and what madeachieving this result possible?It is not the first time the Ministry of EconomicDevelopment of the Russian Federation hasassessed the St Petersburg SEZ at 100%. Thisyear we are in the top three of Russia’s 25 SEZs.Whathasmadeitpossible, inparticular, is thespe-cialisationofourSEZas innovative. It canaccom-modate companies that develop, research andmarket newproducts that havenoanaloguesorreplace imported analogues. The reasons forcreation of such a SEZ in St Petersburg are notonlydue to the favourablegeographical locationof the city (proximity to Europe, ports, roads andso on), but also to the high intellectual potentialof thecity and thepresenceof a largenumberofscientific and educational institutions which arecapable of providing highly qualified personnelfor the residents.

SEZ came under the control of the gov-ernment of St Petersburg. How did itaffect the results of the project and theresidents?This has affected the speed of implementationof investment projects, which is a key factor forinvestors. Theperiodof interactionwith regionalauthorities has been significantly reduced. Themanagement companyand thecity authoritieswork as “one window” for the resident, whichsolves all their pressing problems, turningthrough themanagement company to the city

administration, federal and other authorities. Itbecomes clear to the investor where he signifi-cantly saves time in the implementation of hisproject, which is reflected in the amount ofinvestment thathecan further invest. Theman-agement company is a guarantor of the fulfill-ment of the obligations announced and takenby the city to both domestic and foreign inves-tors, offering them various tools in the imple-mentationof their projects.

The SEZ has been operating formore than10 years. We have our own experience andassessmentofpossibleproblems for the imple-mentation of any investment project. We warninvestors about the problems they may face,and they factor these risks into their projects.

How has the investor changed in recentyears?It has changed significantly in relation to whatcame at the initial stage of the creation ofSpecial Economic Zones. Ten years ago, wefocusedmainly on anchor investors, who wereable to accelerate the development of SEZ ter-ritories. These are investors such as Novartis,Biocad, Rakurs Engineering, Laser Systems.These are high-tech and high-cost industries.Today, due to significant changes in themacro-economic situation, our investors are moredomestic companies that are focused on thedevelopment ofmarkets and innovation of thedomestic product in order to create competi-tion to foreignanalogues. Thiswasgreatly influ-encedby thesanctionsand the limitedamountof credit resources. Our investors today arepharmaceutical companies, instrument-

making companies,microelectronics and IT.New investors are innovative companies in

the field of food security and environmentalsafety, as well as large production companies ofthemilitary-industrial complex. At the sametime,our SEZ also retains the interest of foreign inves-tors, who pay great attention to the feedbackfrom their colleagues, who have already imple-mented their projects here, received a positiveeffect, themarket and the ability to quickly local-ise their innovativeenterprises inRussia.

What performance indicators do youexpect at the endof 2018?We expect a steady growth of residents. Moreand more companies are moving from theinvestment stage to the operating stage, thusthemain growthwill be in revenue and tax indi-cators. According to our calculations, the totalrevenue for 2018 will exceed 15bn rubles, andtaxpaymentswill reach3bn rubles. Thevolumeof investmentsby residents for the2018will beabout 7bn rubles – this figure has been stablefor several years. If we talk about the dynamicsof growth of themain performance indicators,their annual growth is 12%-15%. At the end of2018we expect similar growth rates.

What can the St Petersburg SEZ offer tothe investor?At themoment, a pre-designed solution for theindustrial building that is planned for construc-tion is in a highdegreeof readiness. The innova-tion centre will be constructed in the next twoyears. Itwill beamodularbuildingwithopenplanarea of more than 15,000 sqm. We are startingto prepare the engineering, transport and cus-toms infrastructure on the new site. The man-agement company will conduct the processesof preparing the territory and attracting inves-tors at the same time. The issue of shortage ofelectric power at the new site has been fullyresolved. The government of St Petersburg willprovide funding.Agreementshavealreadybeenreachedwithenergy supplyorganisations.

What efforts does the Russian govern-ment make to stimulate the investmentprocess inRussia?TheMinistry of Economic Development of theRussian Federation develops a variety of pro-grammesof interest rate subsidies to theprior-ity directions of the development of economyand others. Theministry is actively developinga single tool for investors. However, since theSEZ is aworld-famous tool for attracting inves-tors, the conditions for our investors will notchange, but only improve.

Sponsored by Saint PetersburgSpecial Economic Zone

SPOTLIGHTONSTPETERSBURGSEZADVERTISEMENTFEATURE



Nigeria (an oil company and subsidiaryof US-based energy company Chevron)and France-based energy company Total.The zone is close to some of the largestreserves of oil and gas in the world, andis expanding by dredging and reclaim-ing 600 hectares of land in its Onne 4Bexpansion phase project.

Highlycommended–AfricaMauritius Freeport, Mauritius

Mauritius Freeport provides investorswith excellent logistics opportunitiesin the Indian Ocean, with access tomarkets in both Africa and Asia. In aneffort to increase container traffic inthe port, the zone has begun a portdevelopment programme that willincrease port efficiency and accommo-date larger vessels. Investors can bene-f it from a warehousing scheme,whereby land transfer tax and registra-tion duty are both exempt for land orbuildings used for warehousing.

Winner–Asia-PacificAmata City Chonburi, Thailand

See global awards.

Highlycommended–Asia-PacificShanghaiWaigaoqiao Free TradeZone, China

More than 620 large tenants are presentin Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free TradeZone, some of which made some sizea-ble expansions of their operations in thezone. Shanghai Rongshuo invested$705m, while an additional almost$270m was invested by ShanghaiWeiwei Industries. Major investmentshave been made in some of the infra-structure in the zone, including in plantbuildings, warehousing facilities androad constructions.

Winner–EuropeFree Zone Pirot, Serbia

Free Zone Pirot in Serbia has beennamed Europe’s best zone for large ten-ants and offers investors further incen-tives for labour-intensive projects, ontop standard financial incentives. Inaddition, companies are exempt fromcorporate profit tax for 10 years fromthe first year reporting profit, whereinvestment amounts exceed €9m infixed assets and more than 100 addi-tional workers are employed, which willserve to attract larger operations. Thezone’s anchor tenant, tyre manufac-turer Tigar Tyres, has begun construc-tion on a logistics and warehousingfacility on site, which will be supported

by a new 10,000-square-metre facilityconstructed in the zone for the ware-housing of automotive tyres.

Highlycommended–EuropeSt Petersburg Special Economic Zone,Russia

St Petersburg Special Economic Zone isfocused on attracting large innovativeindustrial projects, and the zone partici-pates in a variety of events and exhibi-tions to promote itself to investors. StPetersburg Special Economic Zone hasan active partnership with businessincubators for start-ups wishing to tran-sition to large-scale production.

Winner–AmericasPanamaPacifico, Panama

Panama Pacifico has been named bestzone for large tenants in the Americas,with 95 such companies in the zone in2017, an increase of over 5% from 2016.The zone’s proximity to and partnershipwith ports (PSA Port and Balboa Port)allow companies to build commercialrelations. Three of the region’s largestports are within 10 kilometres of thezone, an incentive for companies’ abilityto import and export with ease.

Highlycommended–AmericasManaus Free Zone, Brazil

With 133 large tenants in the zone,Manaus Free Zone in Brazil’s northernAmazonas state has been highly com-mended in the Americas region for largetenants. Expansion of the zone’s indus-trial district has begun, which alsoincludes a project to upgrade all theroads in the industrial district. Majorinvestors have established a presence inthe zone, including US-based beveragecompany Coca-Cola and Germany-basedautomotive company BMW.

Winner–MiddleEastHamriyah Free Zone, UAE

See global awards.

Highlycommended:MiddleEastJebel Ali Free Zone, UAE

More than 1700 large tenants are resi-dent in Jebel Ali Free Zone, located inDubai. Jafza Bridge, which links thenorth and south areas of the zone, hasbeen opened, easing traffic between thezone and its port and the internationalairport. Investors can take advantage ofthe Dubai Logistics Corridor, whichlinks the port, airport and free zone in aunified customs bond.

“THIS RECOGNITIONREINFORCES THEIMPORTANCE OF OURDEVELOPMENT MODELTHAT HAS PROVIDED ACOMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENTFOR HIGH-END BUSINESS INTHE HEART OF THEBRAZILIAN AMAZON REGION”Appio Tolentino, superintendent, Manaus FreeTrade Zone



AerospaceAequs Special Economic Zone, India

Aequs Special Economic Zone has seeninvestments from some major compa-nies from the aerospace sector. PremiumAeroTech, which is a subsidiary ofNetherlands-based Airbus, and Sweden-based aeronautics and industrial solu-tions company Saab, have a presence inthe zone, which has just welcomed aFlexibleManufacturing System to attractcompaniesmanufacturing complex aerostructure components.

AgribusinessSohar Port and Freezone, Oman

Located in northern Oman on the coastof the Gulf of Oman, Sohar Port andFreezone is due to complete its agro bulkterminal and food cluster in 2018. Thedevelopment will include a berth in theport dedicated to food and agricultureproducts and the food cluster will boasta sugar refinery. There are plans to locate

a major milling plant in the zone,which will be built and managed bySohar Flour Mills, and will include 12grain storage silos.

AutomotiveWalbrzych Special Economic Zone Invest-Park, Poland

Walbrzych Special Economic Zone inPoland’s south-west has become a hubfor the automotive sector. Some majorautomotive companies are based in thezone including Japan-based Toyota,Germany-based Volkswagen andGermany-based Daimler, whichrecently invested in a Mercedes-Benzengine factory in the zone. The develop-ment of the automotive hub hasencouraged the development of otherindustries, including metal and plasticprocessing and warehousing and logis-tics services.

BPO,KPOandITZona Franca de Bogotá, Colombia

More than 16,000 people are employedin Zona Franca de Bogotá’s BPO and ITsector. Companies including Spain-

“WE HAVE REACHEDTHE VERY TOP OF THEEUROPEAN FREE ZONESFAMILY, WHICH IS A GREATRECOGNITION ANDOBLIGATION FOR OUR TEAMTO CREATE AN ADVANCEDECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT”Dragan Kostic, CEO, Free Zone Pirot

Winners–SpecialismAwards



ManufacturingAequs Special Economic Zone, India

As part of an integrated manufacturingecosystem, Aequs Special Economic Zoneprovides its tenants with inventory andservicing on machining tools, meaningthey can respond to companies’ needs ina timely andefficientmanner. The zone isthe country’s first to be specialised in pre-cision engineering and manufacturing.The recent additionof a flexiblemanufac-turing system, whichmanufactures com-plex parts for the aviation industry, willhelp attract these companies to the zone.

MedicaldevicesCoyol Free Zone, Costa Rica

Located in central Costa Rica, Coyol FreeZone is home to eight of the world’s top30 medical device companies. The zoneboasts the highest concentration ofmed-ical device companies in Latin America.Medical devices have become a keyexport, and 51% of the country’s exportsin the sector are derived from the zone.

R&DMasdar City Free Zone, UAE

Located in UAE’s Masdar City, which isdedicated to renewable energy and sus-

based Telefonica, UK-based BT and Spain-based business management solutionscompany Digitex all have a presence inthe zone. Foreign language training isavailable in Zona Franca de Bogotá, toimprove the offering of qualified stafffor call and data centres.

ConstructionKhalifa Industrial Zone, UAE

The Construction City at KhalifaIndustrial Zone in Abu Dhabi offers acentralised hub for the constructionindustry. Land leases are offered at com-petitive rates, and bonded storage formaterials is available. The city serves asan open yard space for constructionmaterials, as well as formachinery itemsfor building projects.

FinancialandprofessionalservicesBirminghamCity Centre EnterpriseZone, UK

Birmingham City Centre EnterpriseZone is a city centre zone in the UK’sWest Midlands region, and is focusedheavily on key business sectors includ-ing business and professional services,financial services and digital media.Banking giant HSBC and consultancyfirm PWC have both chosen to relocate

to the zone, which offers business raterelief of up to £275,000 ($358,000) forcompanies locating to eligible enter-prise zone sites.

ITRamanujan IT City, India

Located in Chennai’s IT corridor,Ramanujan IT City is a dedicated zonefor the IT industry. Companies includ-ing US-based technology companyHewlett-Packard, India-based technol-ogy and consultancy company Infosysand US-based bank Citi are all present inthe zone, which has good connectivitywith Chennai helping to attract employ-ees to the zone.

LogisticsMauritius Freeport, Mauritius

Located in the Indian Ocean, MauritiusFreeport offers investors modern infra-structural and logistics facilities fortheir companies. The zone’s warehous-ing scheme exempts companies fromland transfer or registration duty, wherethe land leased or purchased is for ware-housing activities. A port developmentprogramme has begun, to accommo-date larger vessels and a higher volumeof vessel traffic.

OnestowatchWith the specific aim of developing thetextile industry, Ontustik SEZ inShymkent city in southern Kazakhstan hasbeen highlighted as one to watch. Thezone’s proximities to a supply of raw cot-ton, as well to a motorway that allows themovement of raw material and finishedgoods to emerging market countries, areimportant draws for investors. Investorscan access free land for temporary useuntil 2030, and enjoy tax incentives, a freecustoms zone and management teamsupport. Ontustik SEZ opened its first rep-resentative office in 2017, while alsoengaging in international roadshows inTurkey, Dubai and South Korea.

Free Economic Zone Balti in Moldovahas also been named in the one to watchcategory. Established in 2010, FreeEconomic Zone Balti has developed in 11locations from five localities in all threedevelopment regions of the country (north,centre and south). Major infrastructuredevelopmentswere undertaken in the zone

in2017,andthereareplans for€6.5m-worthof infrastructure developments in 2018across three of its subzones, in addition to€2.5m for road development. Another fourlocalities are scheduled to be incorporatedinto the zone in 2018, representing an addi-tional 60 hectares.

ConsistencythroughtimesofchangeForeign Trade Zone No 64 in Jacksonville,Florida has been recognised for its consist-ency through times of change. In the threeyears to 2018, the zone had been headedby three different US Customs Area portdirectors, making policy determinationsand programme direction susceptible todelays and disruption. However, the zonecontinued to grow in these years andthrough the change in leadership.

WorkforcereadinessStarachowice Special Economic Zone insouth-centre Poland has been recognisedfor its workforce readiness and prides

itself on the well-qualified staff it can offerpotential investors. The Regional Clusterof Vocational Education is led by the zone,and it seeks to marry the needs of compa-nies investing in the region with the voca-tional education on offer to students. Thezone partners with companies to deter-mine their needs and offers solutions inresponse (such as business Englishclasses), as well as with the Polish Ministryof Education to implement new voca-tional policies.

InnovationawardŁódź Special Economic Zone has beenawarded this year’s innovation award inrecognition of the zone’s outward-lookingand forward-thinking approach to newindustries and technology. Łódź city waschosen as the pilot city for new5G technol-ogy, and the zone has a role in creatingdemand for the services. A technicalschool for automation and robotics hasalso opened in the zone, in partnershipwith Łódź Technical University.

Winners–Editor’sChoiceAwards



tainable technology, companies locatingin Masdar City Free Zone can accessimportant partnership opportunitieswith Masdar Institute of Science andTechnology. The zone’s incentives forinnovative start-up companies, includ-ing the catalyst programme (which isthe Middle East’s first technology start-up incubator and develops companies toattract funding and operate indepen-dently) and Krypto Labs (which is a busi-ness incubator, accelerator and co-work-ing space for the development and com-mercialisation of revolutionary prod-ucts and services) attract innovativecompanies engaged in R&D.

RenewableenergyMasdar City Free Zone, UAE

Companies locating in the United ArabEmirates’ Masdar City Free Zone findthemselves in close proximity to theInternational Renewable EnergyAgency, which is the first multilateralinstitution dedicated to renewableenergy in the Middle East. The zone,focused on sustainable technology andrenewable energy, aims to increase itsnumber of tenants fourfold by 2020.

SteelCeara Free Trade Zone, Brazil

Steel plate production in Brazil’s CearaFree Trade Zone, which is specialised inthe steel sector, increased 98% between2016 and 2017. To adapt to the increasein steel production, a special motorwaywas completed for the transportation ofsteel slabs, as well as the expansion ofthe motorway which links Ceara FreeTrade Zone to the Port of Pecem forexports and imports.

TextilesKenya Export Processing Zone,Kenya

Kenya Export Processing Zone isresponding to government policy toimprove incentives and policy in the tex-tile and apparel sector. A new textile city,which will be the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, is in development in thezone, which will target apparel firmsand aims to have 100 companies and200,000 sustainable jobs. Also in devel-opment is the Machakos Leather Park,which will cater specifically for theleather sector.

“THIS REFLECTS OURDEDICATION TO CREATE AFREE ZONE RECOGNISEDFOR ITS INNOVATION,SPECIALIZATION, ANDREADINESS FOR ACHANGING SOCIETY”Carlos Wong, CEO, Coyol Free Zone



QWhat makes for a successfulfree zone – and what single

thing do all successful free zoneshave in common?

AWithout doubt, technologicaladvances are changing the way

businesses operate. [Developmentsin technology are creating] a newecosystem, which is often at war

with the old or traditional ecosystem. So busi-nesses that operate in the old ecosystem have todevelop resilience to withstand the pressures ofthe new ecosystem. This is a constant process ofevolution. Free zones are aware of the challengeandweatWorld FZOarehelping themunder ourumbrella to identify and cope with challenges.The ability to anticipatewhat is in store in futureand build capability to adapt to these changeswill be the primary requirement for free zones tobe successful.

Q What are the main challenges facingglobal free zones today, and how can

they best cope with them?

A The global sociopolitical and economiclandscape is evolving constantly. With

such evolution come challenges. As you willappreciate, evolution is a constant process,especially in the business world as we are buf-fetted by what is called ‘VUCA’ – volatility,uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Also,technological advancements are often disrup-tive, and those in businesses have to be in a stateof readiness to face tech challenges and, indeed,embrace technology. The world is becomingincreasingly interconnected and global valuechains are now the norm, rather than theexception. There are also issues related to envi-ronment protection, skill development, de-risk-ing business growth, adapting to the changinggeopolitical situation and, more recently, theprotectionist policies of some countries. Freezones have to be [aware of] the rapidly changinglandscape and appropriately adapt themselves.

Q Are the recent trends of protectionismand populism impacting free zones?

A A big challenge in recent times is growingprotectionism and the threat of escalating

trade friction. Free zones are not immune tothese recent trends. It is well known that the[political environment] around the world isbecoming increasingly complex. Countries facedomestic political demands while simultane-ously meeting international obligations.Policymakers in most countries are facing thechallenge of how best to judiciously reconcile

this conflict. The threats have to be contained.It is not only an economic or business chal-lenge, but also a political challenge.

QWhat features will characterise the freezones of the future?

A The Free Zone of the Future Programme[FZF Programme] – a global initiative for

local prosperity – seeks to empower free zonesand assist them in building and contributing toa sustainable and prosperous future, one thatsupports the growth of local economies andcommunities while simultaneously benefitingfrom global market dynamics.

The FZF Programme consists of three pillars,including best-in-class practices, innovation andsustainability. In turn each of these pillars con-tains three elements. Best-in-class practicesinclude knowledge-based, certified and tech-ready zones; innovation includes entrepreneur-ial, SMEdeveloper and innovative zones; and sus-tainability includes environmentally friendly,good-place-to-work and socially responsiblezones. Conceptually, the FZFProgrammeseeks topromote economic growth, boost industrial andcommercial activities, create livelihood opportu-nities, foster innovation,utilisenatural resourcesoptimally and achieve all these andmore by net-working and striking appropriate partnerships.

QWhat advice would you offer to manag-ers of free zones that are trying to attract

more inward investment?

A Global investors are attracted because ofpolitical stability, business-friendly poli-

cies, the availability of skills, growth prospects,the potential for attractive return on invest-ment and so on. Free zones should focus ontechnology absorption, skill development, ben-efiting from the global value chain, environ-ment protection and related areas.■

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFTHE WORLD FREE ZONEORGANIZATION TALKS ABOUTWHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFULFREE-TRADE ZONE, AND THECHALLENGES ALL ZONES FACE

Zoned inQ&A – DR SAMIR HAMROUNI

PANAMAPACIFICOBest Free Trade Zone in the Americas 2018

• Recognised twice for our education andtraining alliances and development

• The best connected Special EconomicArea in the Americas

• Class A logistics and offices park into abusiness and residencial community

• Sixth place as the best global freetrade zone

Amaster plan based on a 40-year vision,a public-private partnership and thecommitment of both private enterpriseand the Panamanian state, to develop1,400 hectares materializes today in a project,formerly a military base into an area of eco-nomic, social and cultural development,wheremore than 3,000 residents live, 280 compa-nies operate,1,300 students are trained and isthe headquarters of 4 international schools.The main role of the Panama Pacifico Agency,the project´s governing public entity, has alsobeen important as itmanaged to carry out theoperation of 18 government entities within aOne Stop Shop. That facilitates the processesof the companies, permitting Panama to becompetitive in the global economy.

Thismaster plan seeks to satisfy the client’sneeds in termsofeconomicandsocial develop-ment, urban planning, sustainability and well-being, pillars on which the philosophy of

PanamaPacifico isbased.Today thisareaasoneof the best areas of the continent and as theonlymodel in both Panama and the region hascreatedan innovativeanddynamiccommunity.It alsohasa strategic locationwherecompaniesin the area have access to talent andworkforcewith educational alliances that facilitate thedevelopmentandretention thateachcompanyneeds. Talent isoneof thecoreareasofPanamaPacifico, that is why it has been managingdifferent alliances in connection with IncaeBusiness School, INADEH training center andTechnological University of Panama inemployee development, in fact PanamaPacifico of themore than 280 companies 5 aredesignated in the ranking “Best Place toWork”.

Large state infrastructure projects willpotentiate this area, such as the Pan-AmericanHighway expansion to 8 lanes, 5 interchangesand improvements to existing structures; theFourth Bridge over the Canal of Panama isanother transcendental work, with a costexceeding $1,000 million and considered thesecond largest project in the country. Anotherhuge an important project is the third Metroline, a monorail that will depart from Albrookmaking its first stop at Panama Pacifico, bene-fitingmore than 1.7million users.

These exceptional conditions added to acollaborative environment of well-being and

quality of life have attracted important compa-nies and human talent to the country.International giants such as Dell, 3M, Quest,Grainger, Cemex and PepsiCo, benchmarks inthe logistics service such as J. Cain&Co., GrupoTLA, DAMCO, FedEx, Blue Logistics, are justsome examples. Currently, more than 280companies generatemore than 10,000 jobs inproductive sectors, 8,000 jobs are direct andmore than 2,000 are indirect and 87% isPanamanian labor.

The Financial Times certified for the secondtime the quality and high global standards thatcharacterizePanamaPacificoas “BestFreeZonefor Education,” “Best Free Zone for AcademicCollaboration,” “Best Free Zone for Workforce,Training & Development,” and “Best Free TradeZone forCareerDevelopmentSupport.”

Since 2016, the project has developedboth office and warehouses products withLEED certification. The main characteristics ofthese sustainable buildings are: energy effi-ciency, low water consumption, responsibleuse of materials and waste, healthy internalspaces and innovation that generate well-being and satisfaction for the collaboratorthanks to these spaces, healthy environment,views and abundant natural light.

This year different environmentally friendlyproducts have been developed responding tothe customer’s needs, including “Big Client,” inconnection with energy consumption, dealingwith suppliers of photovoltaic panel generatorsthat reduce energy costs to all customers andtechnologies in residential areas.

fDi Intelligence also recognized PanamaPacifico in the following categories: sixth placeas “Best Global Free Zone,” “Best Free Zone ofBig Tenants of the Americas,” “Best Free TradeZone for Expansions,” and “Best Free Zone forOneconnectivity.”

Each award is extended to important alliesof theprivate industrial sectorwhobelieve in thishuge project: Grupo STT, ZPMC, Dell, Grainger,3M, FedEx, BASF, Lacoste, VF Corp, EY, PepsiCo,Cummins, Agrekko, Damco, Ingersoll Rand,Kuehne + Nagel, Lacoste, Man Diesel, Nipro,Quest, Avon, Wilhelmsen, PriceSmart, PPGIndustries, Rozo,Niproandmanyothers.

Two of 3 largest ports in the Americas arewithin a radius of 7KM from Panama Pacifico,where the transisthmian transportation ofcargo and passengers from the Pacific to theAtlantic is also located. Panama Pacifico alsohas an airport on site where low cost airlinesoperate, and it has the option of private avia-tion, which together with the proximity to theInternational Tocumen Airport has access tomore than 70 cities, becoming an area with anincomparable strategic location and a keyplayer in the Logistics Hub of the Americas.

Sponsored by

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Academic Collaboration Katowice Special Economic Zone, PolandStarachowice Special Economic Zone, PolandFree Economic Zone Balti, MoldovaCoyol Free Zone, Costa RicaPanama Pacifico, PanamaAdvocacyShanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, ChinaArchitecture Development Ramanujan IT City, IndiaBridging Innovation and Business Pomeranian Special Economic Zone, PolandCareer Development Support Panama Pacifico, PanamaChina Strategy Ontustik Special Economic Zone, KazakhstanDMCC, UAE Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, UAEAqaba International Industrial Estate, JordanCluster Development Parque Central Zona Franca, ColombiaFreeport of Ventspils, LatviaFree Economic Zone Balti, MoldovaCommunity and Charity initiatives Ontustik Special Economic Zone, KazakhstanConnectivity Hamriyah Free Zone, UAEPanama Pacifico, Panama Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, UAEFree Zone Pirot, SerbiaCrisis Management Inhdelva Free Trade Zone, HondurasDeployment of Technology Ceara Free Trade Zone, Brazil Łódź Special Economic Zone, PolandFree Zone Pirot, SerbiaAmata City Chonburi, ThailandEconomic Impact Klaipeda Free Economic Zone, LithuaniaDMCC, UAE Expo Business Chisinau, MoldovaLadol Free Zone, Nigeria Jebel Ali Free Zone, UAEEducation Ladol Free Zone, Nigeria Free Economic Zone Balti, MoldovaŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandStarachowice Special Economic Zone, PolandPanama Pacifico, Panama FTZ No 64 Jacksonville FL, USAmata City Chonburi, ThailandKatowice Special Economic Zone, PolandExpansions Amata City Chonburi, ThailandZona Franca de Occidente, ColombiaZona Franca del Este, Costa RicaPanama Pacifico, Panama

Coyol Free Zone, Costa RicaFTZ No 68 El Paso, USDubai Silicon Oasis, UAE Aegean Free Zone, TurkeyLipetsk Special Economic Zone, RussiaDubna Special Economic Zone, RussiaWalbrzych Special Economic Zone Investpark, PolandKlaipeda Free Economic Zone, LithuaniaExpo Business Chisinau, MoldovaFree Economic Zone Balti, MoldovaOntustik Special Economic Zone, KazakhstanŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandExports Increase Ceara Free Trade Zone, BrazilFacilities Upgrades DMCC, UAEDubai Silicon Oasis, UAEMasdar City Free Zone, UAEKhalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, UAEHamriyah Free Zone, UAEFreeport of Ventspils, LatviaDubna Special Economic Zone, RussiaŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandZona Franca de Bogotá, ColombiaFlexible Space Klaipeda Free Economic Zone, LithuaniaHelping Tenant Companies Succeed Zona Franca Santander, ColombiaIncentives SEZ Khorgos - Eastern Gate, KazakhstanOil & Gas Free Zone, Onne, NigeriaKinh Bac City, VietnamFree Zone Pirot, SerbiaKlaipeda Free Economic Zone, LithuaniaIndustry 4.0 Amata City Chonburi, ThailandKatowice Special Economic Zone, PolandŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandInfrastructure Upgrades Mauritius Freeport, MauritiusShanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, ChinaSEZ Khorgos - Eastern Gate, KazakhstanFreeport of Ventspils, LatviaIndustrial Special Economic Zone Togliatti, RussiaBirmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone, UKFTZ No 64 Jacksonville FL, USAdani Ports and SEZ, Mundra, IndiaKhalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, UAEFree Zone Pirot, SerbiaLipetsk Special Economic Zone, RussiaDubna Special Economic Zone, RussiaFree Economic Zone Balti, MoldovaRzeszów – Dworzysko Science and Technology Park, PolandMarketing Slogan Ladol Free Zone: “Nigeria: Limitless Opportunities, Limitless Industries, Limitless Africa”SEZ Khorgos, Eastern Gate, Kazakhstan: “The place where the East meets the West”DMCC, UAE: “ Made for Trade”Adani Ports and SEZ, Mundra, India: “We’ll surprise the world by the scale of our ambition, speed of execution and quality of our operations”

Freeport of Ventspils, Latvia: “Where your ideas meet dedication”Ontustik SEZ, Kazakhstan: “Investments in the present, prosperity in the future” SEZ Stupino Quadrat: “Making investments happen by making investors happy”New Investments Sohar Port and Freezone, OmanDubai Silicon Oasis, UAEKhalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, UAEBaltic Free Economic Zone (Marijampol), LithuaniaFree Zone Sabac, SerbiaSpecial Economic Zone Titanium Valley, RussiaAlabuga Special Economic Zone, RussiaIndustrial Special Economic Zone Togliatti, RussiaKatowice Special Economic Zone, PolandŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandRecruitment Assistance Coyol Free Zone, Costa RicaRed Tape Reduction Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, UAEMasdar City Free Zone, UAESpecial Economic Zone Stupino Quadrat, RussiaDMCC, UAERelocation Services Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone, UKResources/Raw Materials Special Economic Zone Pavlodar, KazakhstanSmart Strategies Amata City Chonburi, ThailandDMCC, UAE Łódź Special Economic Zone, PolandSME Acceleration Kenya Export Processing Zone, KenyaStart-up Support Dubai Silicon Oasis, UAEMasdar City Free Zone, UAEPomeranian Special Economic Zone, PolandŁódź Special Economic Zone, PolandSupplier Development Free Economic Zone Balti, MoldovaSustainability Practices Amata City Chonburi, ThailandCeara Free Trade Zone, BrazilSohar Port and Freezone, OmanDubai Silicon Oasis, UAEKhalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, UAEThought Leadership DMCC, UAETrade Facilitation Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, ChinaWorkforce Training and Development Zona Franca Santander, ColombiaZona Franca de Bogotá, ColombiaFree Zone Sabac, SerbiaLodz Special Economic Zone, Poland Free Economic Zone Balti, MoldovaFTZ No 68 El Paso, USCayman Enterprise City, Cayman IslandsPanama Pacifico, PanamaKenya Export Processing Zone, KenyaLadol Free Zone, Nigeria

Bespoke Awards



Educationn Ladol Free Zone in Nigeria began workon itsUpskillingAcademy in thepast year.Tenant companies can use this facility toaccess a well-qualified talent pool, wherestudents are trained in collaborationwithinternational and local companies.nAnengineering collegewas establishedat Free Economic Zone Balti inMoldova,which will have a dual programme ofvocational education and practical work-based experience in tenant companies.The programme ensures that companiesinvesting in the zonewill have access to anetwork of highly qualified candidates.n A Technical School of Automation andRobotics is planned for Łódz SpecialEconomic Zone in Poland,which, inpart-nership with Łódz Technical University,will providehigh-quality vocational train-ing for students with practical classes inspecialist laboratories. In turn, this willprovide a qualified workforce for poten-tial investors in the zone.n Poland’s Starachowice SpecialEconomicZone leads theRegionalClusterof Vocational Education, with the aim ofimproving the quality of vocational educa-tion in the region. The programme allowsthe zone tomeet investor needs where an

educated workforce is concerned.n Panama Pacifico boasts partnershipswith universities that run various post-graduate programmes in the local area,including Inadeh, which is a technicaltraining programme in shared services,logistics and maritime sectors. A newschool – Saint Mary’s College – is due toopen in the zone soon.n There is close collaboration betweenthe Small Business Development Centreat the University of North Florida andFlorida’s FTZ No 64 Jacksonville, whichaims to educate local businesses on thebenefits of investing in the zone. A for-eign trade zone analysis is offered tobusinesses interested in the programme.n Sirasartsuksa Amata School has beenopened at Amata City Chonburi zone inThailand, offering international educa-tion from kindergarten level to tertiarylevel. The initiative aims to provide edu-cation for families living and workingclose to the zone.n Two key initiatives are in place inPoland’s Katowice Special EconomicZone, which prioritise education to pro-vide a qualified workforce. First, theSilesian Competence Centre for Industry4.0 will help SME companies to

“WINNING THE SPECIALISMAND BESPOKE AWARDS IS APROUD MOMENT FOR KIZADAS WE CONTINUE TO BUILDAN ECOSYSTEM THAT IS AKEY ENABLER FORECONOMIC GROWTH”Samir Chaturvedi, CEO, Khalifa Industrial ZoneAbu Dhabi (Kizad)



develop their employees’ competences inthis newwave of technology. Second, thezone launched the ‘Competence Councilin the Automotive Sector’ in partnershipwith the Polish Chamber of AutomotiveIndustry to adapt the workforce to theneeds of investing companies.

Workforcetraininganddevelopmentn Companies based at Zona FrancaSantander in Colombia can participatein strategic training and networkingevents at special rates, while operationaltraining is provided to companies totrain them in the procedures andrequirements of the zone. Employees ofcompanies based in the zone can alsoaccess the services of three on-site train-ing institutions, where more than 500people were trained in 2017.n Zona Franca de Bogotá provides theUnifranca education alliance, which hastrained more than 3800 employees inthe zone in a second language. The zonespecialises in BPO and call centre opera-tions, and this training ensures a well-qualified workforce for such operations.n A regional training centre was devel-oped at Free Zone Sabac in north-westSerbia, in partnership with the AustrianDevelopment Agency. The centre aims toattract new investors to the zone.n As part of the Strefa RozwoYou initia-tive on offer at Łódz Special EconomicZone in Poland, training vouchers are dis-tributed to allow the company to redeemup to80%of the cost of training, coachingor post-graduate studies for employees ofSME companies investing in the zone.n Vocational education in the engineer-ing college and practical training in theformof apprenticeshipswith tenant com-panies are offered as part of a dual train-ing system in Moldova’s Free EconomicZone Balti, in an effort to provide a quali-fiedworkforce for investing companies.n Workforce training is offered to com-panies investing in FTZ No 68 El Paso inTexas, as part of a special set of incentivesavailable tomanufacturing companies.n Cayman Enterprise City on theCayman Islands is active in connectinglocal talent with investing companies.The zone provides coding workshopsand training sessions to give the localworkforce an advantage and attractinvestors. It also recently established theCayman Code Academy, powered by cod-ing school Code Fellow, which respondsto the needs of companies in the zone foremployees qualified in coding.n Employees of companies in PanamaPacifico can avail themselves of trainingand education on aweekly basis in a vari-ety of subjects, promoting educationand networking.n The training of young people and

women in manufacturing is prioritisedatKenya Export Processing Zone as partof a national shift towards the ‘Big Fouragenda’, including encouraging invest-ment inmanufacturing.n Employees at the Upskilling Academyin Nigeria’s Ladol Free Zone are trainedin a collaboration between the zone andinternational and local companies.

Expansionsn Amata City Chonburi, Thailand –Mitsubishi Electric Consumer Productsrecently established a second factory inthe zone on a plot of 243,000 squaremetres, expanding from its first factoryof 177,000 squaremetres.n Zona Franca de Occidente, Colombia– Braun increased production of surgicalsutures from 300,000 units in November2017 to 1million units in April 2018. Thecompany is aiming to increase to 8 mil-lion units in December 2018.n Zona Franca del Este, Costa Rica –Amazon is planning to expand in thezone by 20,000 squaremetres.n Panama Pacifico, Panama – Graingerexpanded its operations in the zone by2000 squaremetres.n Coyol Free Zone, Costa Rica – amongothers, Coopervision is doubling itsclean room manufacturing area andincreased production by 107%.n FTZNo68El Paso, US –CardinalHealthexpandedby 1000 squaremetres in 2017.n Dubai Silicon Oasis, UAE – JaguarLand Rover is expanding its presence inthe zone with its new regional head-quarters, which will cover an area of14,000 square metres and support thecompany’s regional support plans.nAegean Free Zone, Turkey –Hugo Bossrecently increased its operation, withthe addition of a new 10,736-square-metre building.n Lipetsk Special Economic Zone,Russia –OBOBetterman is currently con-structing a new facility in the zone toexpand its production of cable protec-tion and fastening systems. In addition,another 17 hectares have been claimednearby to set up a production operationfor galvanised goods.nDubna Special Economic Zone, Russia– Promtech-Dubna is in the process ofestablishing its seventh manufacturingbuilding in the zone, as part of plans toestablish 10 such facilities.n Wałbrzych Special Economic ZoneInvest-Park, Poland – Toyota hasexpanded its plant in the zone, whichhas become the largest manufacturingbase for the company outside Japan.n Klaipeda Free Economic Zone,Lithuania – NeoGroup has expanded itsmanufacturing facility at a cost of €50mto introduce a new production line,

“THE RECOGNITION ALLOWSUS TO CONTINUE WORKINGTOWARDS OUR GREATESTPURPOSE, TO BUILD ASUCCESSFUL ANDSUSTAINABLE BUSINESS FOROUR COMPANIES FROM THISWORLD-CLASS PLATFORM”Nívea Santarelli Franco, CEO Zona FrancaSantander



which would increase production activ-ity at the site bymore than 50%.n Expo Business Chisinau, Moldova –The initial investment of FujikuraAutomotive Europe, which saw the crea-tion of 700 jobs, has increased to 1500jobs. There are plans to employ up to3000 people in the zone by 2021.n Free Economic Zone Balti, Moldova –Dräxlmaier began its operation in thezone in 2010 with one plant, which hadincreased to three plants by the end of2017 and a fourth facility is currentlyunder development.n Ontustik SEZ, Kazakhstan –AzalaCotton increased production vol-ume in the zone by 30%.n Łódz Special Economic Zone, Poland –BSH obtained a sixth business permit tocreate a specialist R&D facility in the zone.

Newinvestmentsn Sohar Port and Freezone, Oman –Pittie Group began a $300m investmentto produce cotton yarn. The facility willproduce 100,000 tonnes of cotton yarn.nDubai SiliconOasis, UAE – LuluGroupinvested Dh1bn ($272m) to develop amall measuring 93,000 squaremetres.n Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi,UAE – Agreements have been signed by 15Chinese companies to invest more than$1bn under the company name China-UAE Industrial Capacity Cooperation(Jiangsu) ConstructionManagement.n Baltic FEZ (Marijampol), Lithuania –Dovista plans to invest €50m in the com-ing years in the zone andcreate 1000 jobs.n Free Zone Sabac, Serbia – YazakiCorporation invested in a 30,000-square-metre facility which employs 1100 staff.n Special Economic Zone TitaniumValley, Russia–Stod-Ural invested$49mina facility in 2017 which is currently underdevelopment and will produce 300,000cubic metres of glued laminated lumberandOSBplates per year once completed.n Alabuga Special Economic Zone,Russia – Rockwool Company investedmore than $10m in a new mineral woolproduction facility.n Industrial Special Economic ZoneTogliatti, Russia - Ozon Pharmatsevtikainvested in a new pharmaceutical plantin the zone tomanufacture dosage formsand startingmaterials, a first for Russia.n Katowice Special Economic Zone,Poland – Johnson Mattey is planning toinvest €100m in Gliwice to employ 250people in its new production facility forcatalysts and semi-finished products.n Łódz Special Economic Zone, Poland –Miele invested €50m in a production facil-ity in thezone, its first inPoland. The com-pany employed 350 people to begin with,and plans to increase this number to 1000employees and double its investment.

Facilitiesupgradesn DMCC in Dubai broke ground on itsUptownDubai project, a 930,000-square-metre development including grade Acommercial and residential space, morethan 200 retail and food outlets, 3000residences, an entertainment plaza anda number of hotels. The developmentexpects to create 10,000 jobs. In addi-tion, a smart district was built in thezone in 2017 andmore than 3000 squaremetres of co-working space was added.n Dubai Silicon Oasis is developingmany facilities, including the Dh1.3bn($354m) smart city project Silicon Park,the Dh500m new campus for theRochester Institute of Technology Dubai,a Dh25.5m water treatment plant, theDh30m Lake Park project and theDh97m techno-hub office building dedi-cated to technology companies.n The Accelerator Building is a new addi-tion toMasdar City Free Zone, which isa new 5000-square-metre office buildingaimed at SMEs. The facility includes hotdesk areas and low rental options. Anapartment complex was opened in 2018that boasts 500 one-bedroom units andthe Masdar Park outdoor dining and lei-sure destination was expanded in 2017to include a hiking trail, a football fieldand basketball court.n Kizad Logistics City was launched atKhalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi andoffers companies a pay-per-use warehousesolutions model. Construction City wasalso established in the zone to serve theneeds of the construction industry. Thereareplans to expand the zone aspart of theKizadAreaBexpansion,whichwill see theaddition of 84 square kilometres for com-mercial, industrial, warehousing, accom-modation and community facilities.n Construction has completed on 136new state-of-the-art warehouses at theHamriyah Free Zone food park and newwarehouses are currently under con-struction. A new Accommodation Citywas established to house 6000 additionalworkers. Plans are under way for thethird phase of the zone’s expansion,which will increase the zone’s area to 30square kilometres.n New buildings were constructed atLatvia’s Freeport of Ventspils, includingthe construction of new rental space thatwill increase the zone’s rental offering by25%. An additional 10 hectares are beingprepared for thedevelopment of industry.n Dubna Special Economic Zone inMoscow Oblast in Russia was expandedby more than 275,000 square metres in2018 to serve demand from science com-panies. An innovation and technologycentrewill be built in thenewexpansion.n Łódz Special Economic Zone wasincreased by almost 340 hectares and

“FREE ZONE SABAC ISCONSTANTLY STRIVING TOKEEP UP WITH MODERNBUSINESS TRENDS ANDI AM VERY GLAD IT WASRECOGNISED BY OURTENANTS AND fDi”Violeta Šestić, head of local economicdevelopment department, City of Sabac



incorporatedanewsubzone.Constructionbegan on a new warehouse and produc-tionhall in 2017, designed for SMEs.n A fourth datacentre is being developedat Zona Franca de Bogotá in Colombia,as well as the addition of another hotel.The first 10 hectares of the zone’s majorexpansion project is expected to getunder way in 2019.

Infrastructureupgradesn A port redevelopment programme isunder way atMauritius Freeport, whichwill allow larger vessels to come in toport,aswell as a higher volumeof vessel traffic.The 540-metre berth was extended by afurther240metres and thedredgeddepthnow reaches 18 metres. Container stack-ing capabilities have also been increased.n ShanghaiWaigaoqiaoFreeTradeZonehas seen developments and upgrades inits plant buildings, warehouse buildings,office buildings and complexes, as well asconstruction on its roads.n SEZ Khorgos – Eastern Gate in south-eastern Kazakhstanhas invested inmanynew infrastructure projects to attractinvestors, including new roads, electric-ity supplies and water systems. In addi-tion, expansion plans are under way.nMoney was invested in the access roadsto the port and industrial sites at Latvia’sFreeport of Ventspils, along withincreases in car parking space.Approximately$2.8mwas invested inportinfrastructure, which included upgradesto the dry cargo terminal, construction ofa new storage facility and the reconstruc-tion of hydrotechnical constructions.n In2017, constructionbeganona railwayto the site of Industrial Special EconomicZone Togliatti in south-western Russia,whichwillmake the zonemore accessibleandmoreattractive to investorsuponcom-pletion. Work also began on a commoncustoms terminal on the site.n A metro extension is planned to runthrough the Curzon and Digbeth areasof Birmingham City Centre EnterpriseZone in the UK. A masterplan has beendrawn up for the Digbeth area, whichwill provide guidance on connectivityand infrastructure improvements to sup-port growth proposals in the area.nMore than $600mhas been invested inport infrastructure developments atFlorida’s FTZNo 64 Jacksonville, in prep-aration for accepting larger vessels and aspart of the harbour deepening project.n Adani Ports and SEZ, Mundra onIndia’s north-west coast has seenincreased infrastructure. A containerscanning system has been installed toimprove cargo time, and unloading armsare currently being installed to handleliquid cargo. This complements a newcontainer terminal and a new LNG termi-

nal that have both been established toimprove cargo flow and lower costs.n Almost 14 kilometres of roads andutil-ities have been upgraded to support newinvestors in heavy industrial, generalindustrial and logistics and port compa-nies in the UAE’s Khalifa IndustrialZone Abu Dhabi.n Free Zone Pirot in Serbia has con-structed a logistics centre, including anintermodal terminal and warehousingand logistics facilities, to allow investorsto shift goods from rail to road. Softwaretools were also developed for clients in2017 to allow them to easily communi-cate between the zone’s freight forward-ing department and customers and easethe freight forwarding, import andexport processes.n The first stage of the development ofLipetsk Special Economic Zone in Russiawas completed, which included work onall the engineering and transportationnetworks. Construction of customs facili-ties is under way, complete with offices,check points, radiation monitoring andvideo surveillance capabilities.n A lot of infrastructure developmentwork was undertaken at Russia’s DubnaSpecial Economic Zone, including workon land drainage, road infrastructure,utility networks, electric supply and aboiler system. Plans are in place to estab-lish a power supply station, a hospitaland a customs complex in 2019.n There are plans to invest approximately€6.5m in the infrastructure of Moldova’sFree Economic Zone Balti in 2018, inaddition to construction work on accessroads in the subzones. Subzones wereconnected to gas and electricity in 2018 aspart of the developmentwork.n Rzeszów – Dworzysko Science andTechnology Park in south-eastern Polandis addressing the need for connectivity inthe zone, with plans for a new bus route,a new railway stop and the constructionof a bypass near the zone.

Start-upsupportn In an effort to attract start-up compa-nies and hi-tech entrepreneurs, DubaiSilicon Oasis added 1500 square metresto its Dubai Technology EntrepreneurCentre, which offers start-up companiesrents at subsidised rates. Companies canalso take advantage of co-working space,funding opportunities,mentoring oppor-tunities, consultation and business tools.n The Accelerator Office building atMasdar City Free Zone is a new5000-square-metre office facility whichoffers SME companies and start-upslower rental rates for office space, com-pletewith a full business centre,meetingrooms and hot desk areas. The zone alsoprovides a range of services for such com-

“WE ARE GLAD THAT THETENDENCIES OF MAJORINVESTMENTS GROWTHAND OVERALL PROGRESS INLIPETSK SEZ GOT NOTICEDAND ACCLAIMED THROUGHTHIS RANKING”Ivan Koshelev, CEO, Lipetsk SEZ



panies, including business support ser-vices as part of its innovative ecosystem.n Innovative start-ups and larger compa-nies can benefit from the collaborationafforded to them through the Space3acIntermodal Transportation acceleratoron offer at Pomeranian SpecialEconomic Zone in Poland. The accelera-tor provides financial andexpert support.n Łódz Special Economic Zone offersStart-up Spark, an accelerator introducedin January2017 tocombine the innovativeideas of start-up companieswith the expe-rience and mentorship of establishedcompanies. Theprogramme isdesigned tobring innovative products tomarket.

AmataCityChonburi,ThailandAmata Network Company completed theconstruction of an underground fibrenetwork in 2018, which includes FTTxconcept design and distribution of thisstate-of-the-art cable network. Thishelped the zone to be recognised for itsDeployment of Technology. HitachiHigh Technologies Corporation estab-lished a trial factory in the zone in 2017,and offers a shared hi-tech facility for thecompany’s manufacturing operations inThailand, operating remotely fromJapan. This helped the zone in itsIndustry 4.0 award win. Amata CityChonburi was further awarded for itsSmart Strategy in the development of itsSmart City. This location provides inte-grated manufacturing, assembly andprocessing capabilities and includessmart manufacturing and energy pro-cesses. The zone was recognised for itsSustainability Practices, which includedseveral projects, including an eco-indus-trial estate development, which boastsenvironmentally-friendly infrastructure,energymanagement and green spaces.

BirminghamCityCentreEnterpriseZone,UKRecognised for its Relocation Services,Birmingham City Centre EnterpriseZone offers its EZ Relocation ServicesPilot, which gives investors an aftercarerelocation service. The programme hasbeen extended until 2020.

CearaFreeTradeZone,BrazilCeara Free Trade Zone’s newmobile app,SICA, was developed to streamline themovement of goods to and from the zone,and helped it to be awarded for itsDeployment of Technology. The appallows the user to access control tools forcargo, people and vehicles and allows forthe scheduling of customs transit.Exports in the state of Ceara grew bymore than62%between2016 and2017, toreach the highest value in the history ofthe state. This coincided with a 98%

increase in the production of steel in thezone and ensured its recognition forExports Increase. While experiencingthis unprecedented growth, the zone alsomade strides in its Sustainability Efforts,achieving the Green Seal of Certificationfrom the Brazilian government.

CoyolFreeZone,CostaRicaCoyol Free Zone has been recognised forits Academic Collaboration, due to alli-ances with education institutions whichoffer courses and training for employeesto further their education.Companies canbe assured of a qualifiedworkforce to sup-port their investment. A training centre islocated on site for meetings, workshopsand other activities. A database of morethan 25,000 candidates (which investingcompanies can access) also helped it towinanaward forRecruitmentAssistance.

DMCC,UAEThis year’s Global Free Zone of the Year,DMCChasbeen recognised inahandful ofcategories. Its Smart Strategy has beenwarmly received by judges, thanks to thecompletion of its smart district strategy.The aim of the strategy is to ensure thepeople living andworking in the zone arethriving in a state-of-the-art community,with smart initiatives such as the rolloutof its smart parking system. The zone’sexcellent China Strategy includes busi-ness materials offered in Mandarin,Chinese-speaking account executives anda China business centre. DMCC and thecompanies located in the zone accountedfor 10% of Dubai’s overall GDP in 2017,leading to its award forEconomic Impact.The zone has been lauded for itsReduction in Red Tape, having broughtthe time companies must wait for alicence renewal down from nine to fourdays, and the issuing of new businesslicences from three to two days. The sec-ond edition of the zone’s ThoughtLeadership programme produced areport on the future of trade. The reportwas downloadedmore than5000 times inthe space of four weeks, and establishedthe zone as an authority on the subject.

DubaiSiliconOasis,UAEDubai Silicon Oasis has been recognisedfor its Sustainability Practices due to itsrange of environmental policies, includ-ing a smart underground water-savingsubsurface irrigation system, a sewagewater treatment plant to produce irriga-tion water, the use of electric and hybridvehicles, smart waste management andfree electric vehicle charging points forpeople in the zone.

ExpoBusinessChisinau,MoldovaFujikuraAutomotive Europe launched

“BIRMINGHAM’S ENTERPRISEZONE HAS HELPED GREATERBIRMINGHAM TO WINRECOGNITION FOR ITSFDI STRATEGY, WHICH ISRANKED AS ONE OF THEBEST IN EUROPE”Tim Pile, chair, Greater Birmingham and SolihullLocal Enterprise Partnership



“TITANIUM VALLEYIS A PLATFORM FORCO-OPERATION, WHERESMALL COMPANIES BECOMESUPPLIERS TO GLOBALINDUSTRIAL GIANTS, ANDTECHNOLOGY TRANSFERIS IN DEMAND”Artemiy Kyzlasov, CEO, SEZ Titanium Valley

production at its new facility in ExpoBusiness Chisinau in 2017, with the crea-tion of 700 jobs. The operation expandedquickly to employ 1500 people, a figurethe company plans to increase to 3000.An investment of this scale in a smalleconomy will have a multiplier effectand deliver much-needed jobs to thearea, leading to the zone’s award forEconomic Impact.

FreeEconomicZoneBalti,MoldovaFree Economic Zone Balti launched aSupplier Development Programme tohelp SMEs reach standards required ofmultinational companies to be able toprovide them with goods and services aspart of the supply chain. This also fed intothe zone’s Cluster Development, estab-lishing an automotive cluster comprisedof more than 25 companies, 10 universi-ties, R&D centres, business support bod-ies and local administration. The zonewas also awarded for its AcademicCollaboration, settingupan engineeringcollege on site and working with compa-nies to provide a dual vocational educa-tion and internship programme.

FreeZonePirot,SerbiaSoftware tools were developed in FreeZonePirot in2017 to ease the communica-tion for clients with both the freight for-warding and customs processes, helpingto secure an award for theDeployment ofTechnology. The zonewasalso recognisedfor its Incentives programme,whichwereplentiful and ran the gamut from corpo-rate tax exemptions and employmentgrants to benefits of the logistics centre,including customs procedures. Free ZonePirot’s Connectivitywas also recognised,thanks to its proximity to the PanEuropeanCorridorXconnectingBelgradewith Sofia and Turkey, Italy and Greece.The interchange to this road network isjust 300metres from the zone.

FreeportofVentspils,LatviaThe advance of an ICT cluster is high onthe agenda of the Freeport of Ventspils,and led the zone to be awarded for itsCluster Development. An ICT growthstrategy was adopted, which included astrategy to attract ICT companies, and apilot competition was conducted togain financing for the implementationof ICT ideas.

HamriyahFreeZone,UAEHamriyah Free Zone enjoys access to a14-metre deep-water port and a seven-metre deep inner harbour, allowingaccess from large vessels. A new doublecarriage highway has been constructedto improve the zone’s Connectivitywithother major highways in the country,

including with the important SheikhMohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311).

InhdelvaFreeTradeZone,HondurasInhdelva Free Trade Zone in north-west-ern Honduras proved it was adept atCrisis Management when faced withpolitical riots in 2017. The zone lookedafter its clients and its staff were wellequipped to handle the situation.

JebelAliFreeZone,UAEJebel Ali Free Zone has been recognisedfor its Economic Impact. According toits submission, the zone accounts foralmost 32% of all FDI flows into theUnited Arab Emirates and contributes21% of Dubai’s GDP annually.

KatowiceSpecialEconomicZone,PolandThe Siliesian Competence Centre forIndustry 4.0 was established at KatowiceSpecial Economic Zone, which will sup-port SMEs in their digital transforma-tions and will provide training and edu-cation to their employees, and resultedin the zone’s Industry 4.0 award. Thezone was also recognised for itsAcademic Collaboration, thanks to itsK2 programme (Career andCompetence)which adapts the vocational educationprogramme to labour market needs.Dual training offers students practicalexperience with theoretical knowledge.

KenyaExportProcessingZone,KenyaThe Export Business Accelerator on offerin Kenya Export Processing Zone haswon the zone an award for its SMEAcceleration. The programme helps topropel SMEs investing in the zone intomedium or large exporting companies.

Khalifa IndustrialZoneAbuDhabi,UAEAs part of its China Strategy, KhalifaIndustrial Zone in Abu Dhabi offers anin-house China desk, which is staffedwith Chinese nationalswho can commu-nicate effectively with Chinese-basedinvestors who are interested in investingin the zone. The zone is in close proxim-ity to four international airports, as wellas being fully integrated with KhalifaPort. The zone’s Connectivity is alsoboosted by the high standards of roadsaround the zone. Khalifa Industrial Zonealso boasts a sea water cooling and desal-ination system, which supports heavyindustry within the zone and ensureswater pumped back to sea from the sys-tem is fully cooled and does not harmmarine life, helping its award forSustainability Practices.



KinhBacCity,VietnamIncentives in Kinh Bac City include a taxexemption for two years and a tax reduc-tion of 50% for the following four years.Some projects, in areas such as scientificresearch, hi-tech projects and software,have a tax rate of 10% applied for 15years. A tax rate of 0% applies for transferof profit abroad.

KlaipedaFreeEconomicZone,LithuaniaKlaipeda’s Free Economic Zone inLithuania has been acknowledged forthe Economic Impact it makes to itscountry. The zone contributes between2.5% and 5% of the country’s GDP annu-ally. The zone’s Incentives package isattractive to investors, with a 0%income tax rate for 10 years, and a rateof 7.5% for the following six years. Ratesapply to companies investing €100,000and employing at least 20 staff. FlexibleSpace is offered to investors throughthe zone’s Flex Start complex, whichoffers a range of purpose-built accom-modations, including manufacturingand office facilities. This allows a com-pany to establish operations withinthree months.

LadolFreeZone,NigeriaLadol Free Zone in Nigeria has been thebase for 50,000 direct and indirect jobsin the 17 years it has been running, and$500m has been invested in the zone,which has helped bring it recognistionfor its Economic Impact.

ŁódzSpecialEconomicZone,PolandAs part of the 5G strategy for Poland,Łódz was chosen as the pilot site for 5Gtechnology implementation. ŁódzSpecial Economic Zone, which has beenrecognised for its Deployment ofTechnology, plays a crucial role in cre-ating demand for the 5G servicesamong its companies, and has devel-oped an S5 accelerator to help start-upcompanies realise their potential to uti-lise the technology. Also recognised forits Industry 4.0 strategy and SmartStrategy, the zone is focused on thedevelopment of Industry 4.0 start-upcompanies, and through its Spark VCprogramme will invest in seed start-upsas well as the 5G accelerator, aimed atsmart industry.

MasdarCityFreeZone,UAEA new version of Masdar City FreeZone’s One Stop Shop was launched,which allows companies to access thefull suite of services it offers online.Company licence applications, visarequests and lease renewals can all bedone online without the need to apply

in person, helping the zone to win anaward for its Reduction in Red Tape.

Oil&GasFreeZone,Onne,NigeriaIncentives on offer at Oil & Gas FreeZone, Onne in southern Nigeria include100% repatriation of capital investmentand remittance of profits, no value-added tax, no corporate tax and no capi-tal gains tax, while no import or exportlicences are required.

OntustikSEZ,KazakhstanLocated in southern Kazakhstan,Ontusik SEZ has been recognised for itsChina Strategy, having opened its firstforeign representative office in thecountry in 2017 to attract attentionfrom Chinese investors. This resulted ina $140m manufacturing investmentfrom a Chinese investor in 2018. Thezone has also been awarded for itsCommunity and Charity Initiatives,organising multiple events through theyear for local youth, minority groupsand people with disabilities.

PanamaPacifico,PanamaWorkers in the area surroundingPanama Pacifico zone can access arange of programmes and weekly work-shops to encourage their professionaland personal development, helping thezone to win an award for its CareerDevelopment Support . PanamaPacifico’s Academic Collaborationwasalso highlighted by judges, due to part-nerships with a range of postgraduateand school - level programmes.Infrastructure projects are in develop-ment and aim to make the zone thebest connected area in the country.Two of the three largest ports in theregion are located close to the zone,while the bidding process is under wayfor a newmetro line stop in the zone. Acargo railroad is also accessible fromthe zone, which helped it to be recog-nised for its Connectivity.

ParqueCentralZonaFranca,ColombiaA ‘super cluster’ is currently under devel-opment in Parque Central Zona Franca,which spans several sectors and con-nects various anchor companies in thezone and develop a supply chain fromthe generation of rawmaterials throughto customers of the finished products.These efforts have been recognised withan award for Cluster Development.

AqabaInternational IndustrialEstate, JordanAqaba International Industrial Estate’sChina Strategy includes a representativeoffice in Shenzhen and a collabora-

“WE BELIEVE THAT BYEMPOWERING LOCALWORKFORCES ANDCOMMUNITIES ANDPROVIDING THE RIGHTTOOLS WE CAN MAKEA REAL DIFFERENCETO THE GLOBAL ECONOMY”Amy Jadesimi, managing director,Ladol Free Zone



tion with Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce to encourage and attract investment to the zone. Two Chinese companies invested in the zone in 2017 as a result of the strategy.

Pomeranian Special Economic Zone, PolandPomeranian Special Economic Zone has been recognised for its Bridging Innovation and Business. The zone’s offer is supported by the Gdansk Science and Technology Park, which encourages entrepreneurship in sciences and tech-nology. Facilities on offer include a 3D printer, modern office spaces, a technol-ogy incubator, laboratories and training programmes. The Space3ac Intermodal Transportation accelerator programme provides expert and financial support to companies working in the space sector.

Ramanujan IT City SEZArchitecture Development has been undertaken in India’s Ramanujan IT City. Developments include a podium/main street concept development, two levels above ground level. A bridge has been constructed to connect the zone to a rail station and an underground vehi-cle chassis scanner has been installed.

Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, UAEAn award for the Reduction in Red Tape has been given to Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, having put a focus on making doing business easier in the zone. New software systems were imple-mented, as well as a new e-services web-site, where clients can apply for services in the zone from anywhere in the world at any time. A one-stop-shop services cen-tre was also established.

SEZ Khorgos – Eastern Gate, KazakhstanAs part of the Incentives package on offer, products produced by companies on site at SEZ Khorgos – Eastern Gate will be exempt from customs duties and VAT when importing raw materials or com-ponents of finished goods.

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, ChinaIn recognition of efforts to open the zone and to attract international investors, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone has been awarded for its Advocacy. Temporary adjustments have been made to laws and regulations at national and local levels to provide legal guarantees. The zone has also been recognised for its Trade Facilitation efforts, thanks to its opening up of the financial service sec-tor to attract foreign capital and help domestic companies go global.

Sohar Port and Freezone, OmanSustainability Practices in place at Sohar Port and Freezone in Oman include the use of steam produced as a by-product of manufacturing opera-tions in the zone. Steam generated in factories is piped to other industries and used as a source of energy. Studies are under way with a view to running port vehicles on hydrogen, another by-product of industry. The zone has also installed solar panels around the head office, reducing the amount of power drawn from the grid.

Special Economic Zone Stupino Quadrat, RussiaSpecial Economic Zone Stupino Quadrat has successfully lobbied the Russian government for changes in leg-islation which would make it easier for investors to achieve ‘Made in Russia’ sta-tus and for the amount-based adjust-ment for supplying railways and engi-neering infrastructure for residents. This helped Special Economic Zone Stupino Quadrat to be recognised for its Reduction in Red Tape.

Special Economic Zone Pavlodar, KazakhstanThe Resources and Raw Materials on offer at Special Economic Zone Pavlodar include 100% of the region’s aluminium supply, 75% of its ferro-alloys and 37.5% of its coal reserves.

Starachowice Special Economic Zone, PolandStarachowice Special Economic Zone boasts the Regional Cluster for Vocational Education, which aims to improve the academic offering of the local workforce and, through closer links with companies investing in the region, aims to better meet their needs. This has been recognised by an award for Academic Collaboration. Members of the cluster include higher education institutions, vocational education insti-tutions, companies, business support institutions and representatives of regional government.

Zona Franca Santander, ColombiaTraining programmes and opportuni-ties for employees to boost professional development, when married with social progress and efficient use of environmental resources, offers com-panies the greatest chance to achieve economic growth, according to Zona Franca Santander. These are part of the zone’s offering, and helped it to achieve recognition for Helping Companies Succeed as part of its ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’ campaign. n

“I WOULD LIKE TO DEDICATE THIS AWARD TO ALL OUR OCCUPANTS WHO HAVE MADE RAMANUJAN IT CITY SEZ INTO A TRUE GLOBAL LANDMARK”C Velan, CEO, Ramanujan IT City

CONTENTS€¦ · finished the year with 14,805 companies and more than 61,700 employees. Some...

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