UNIDO Launches the First Creative Hub in Ethiopia to Support Creative Industries and Entrepreneurship

The Ethiopian Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, along with UNIDO Regional Office Hub and the Federal Small and Medium Manufacturing Industry Promotion Authority, have inaugurated the "Creative Hub - Ethiopia".

The Hub has been set up within the framework of the UNIDO project “Phase 2 (Extension) of the Technical Assistance Project for the Up-Grading of the Ethiopian Leather and Leather Products Industry”, financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

In line with UNIDO mandate to enable everyone to reap the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and support the achievement of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID), the Creative Hub has been designed to foster innovation and economic growth by promoting creativity, digitalization and knowledge sharing.

The Hub, located within the premises of the FeSMMIPA in the heart of Addis Ababa, is equipped with advanced machineries and includes co-working areas, laboratories and a Coffee space, or “C-office”. The Hub will provide a wide range of services to designers and innovative entrepreneurs, such as seminars, workshops, trainings, social events, and networking sessions. Moreover, the Hub will offer the possibility to access digital instruments (such as 3D printers for rapid prototyping, laser cutters, a digital library, etc.) and will encourage digital payments with the newly launched “Telebirr”! The Creative Hub will not only be a suitable platform for existing MSMEs as well as new businesses (especially women-owned companies, operators in design, leather, fashion, textile, etc.) to promote product development, sales activities and services, but also a meeting place where they can experiment new solutions and share experiences. The Hub puts creativity at the centre of every decision-making process, as a key to understanding and interpreting the global market and its evolutions. The contribution of the new generations is of paramount importance for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and rapidly re-inventing a “new normal”, fostered by the digital transformation and a wider sharing of knowledge and expertise.

This activity is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Ethiopia 2020–2025, under the Strategic Priority 3, Prosperity, whereby: The UN will work towards accelerating the transition to a more inclusive and diversified economy, utilizing a “smart response’’ to and recovery from the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 to improve the pace, scale and quality of the change process. At the core of the UN’s focus will be the development of an enabling environment that can attract investments and boost entrepreneurship as well as enterprise/start-up formation and survival, to generate decent and productive jobs at scale for a young and growing population whilst improving social protection.