Tigara Project

14/06/2026

How can cluster development contribute to sustainable industrial growth and competitiveness? Part 2.

Following the first workshop on 7 June 2026, policymakers, private sector representatives, and development partners came together for a workshop on “Designing and Governing Effective Cluster Policies”, jointly organised by the European Union support to trade, industry, growth and rapid market access TIGARA project and the EUROMED Cluster Forward project, Egypt Impact Lab and Arab African Advisers, at the premises of the federation of Egyptian industries.

The workshop provided a platform for dialogue on the opportunities presented by economic clusters and the policy, governance, and coordination mechanisms needed to foster a stronger cluster ecosystem in Egypt.

Discussions explored key concepts of cluster development, governance models and coordination mechanisms, data-driven approaches to cluster mapping and prioritisation, and tools for measuring the impact of cluster programmes. International and regional experiences were also examined, with reflections on their relevance to the Egyptian context.

By strengthening collaboration between policymakers, the private sector, and knowledge institutions, cluster development can help unlock innovation, enhance competitiveness, and support more sustainable and inclusive economic development.

08/06/2026

How can cluster development contribute to sustainable industrial growth and competitiveness?

On 7 June, cluster members, private sector representatives, and development partners came together for a workshop on Strengthening Cluster Collaboration, Management, and Sustainability, jointly organised by the European Union support to trade, industry, growth and rapid market access TIGARA project and the EUROMED Cluster Forward project, at the premises of the federation of Egyptian industries.

The workshop provided a platform for dialogue on how cluster members can enhance collaboration, improve cluster management practices, and adopt more sustainable business models to support the development of Egypt’s emerging cluster ecosystem.

Discussions explored key concepts of cluster management organisations, governance and sustainability approaches, as well as practical examples of collaboration, innovation, shared services, and collective marketing and branding. Interactive exchanges also addressed opportunities and challenges faced by cluster members, including trust-building, capacity differences, and resource constraints, with reflections on practical ways to strengthen cooperation.

By strengthening collaboration between cluster members, institutions, and development partners, cluster development can help unlock innovation, enhance competitiveness, and support more sustainable and inclusive industrial development.

04/06/2026

TIGARA at FoodGuard Summit & FI Africa2026

The FoodGuard Summit and FI Africa, held between 2 and 4 June 2026 at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre, brought together key stakeholders to advance solutions for more resilient, efficient, and sustainable food systems. The discussions strongly aligned with the EU-funded TIGARA project, implemented by UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Government of Egypt, which focuses on strengthening cluster-based development, enhancing SME competitiveness, and improving value chain integration across strategic sectors.

TIGARA participated in the exhibition as part of UNIDO Egypt projects, showcasing ongoing interventions supporting agri-food SMEs, strengthening value chain linkages, and promoting collaborative approaches to reduce inefficiencies and food loss.

TIGARA also contributed to the technical programme through sessions led by its team, including:

1- Cultural Dimensions of Food Loss: Cluster-Based Solutions for Ingredients and Value Chains, in partnership with the Inclusive Green Growth in Egypt project, exploring cluster-based approaches to reducing food loss and shared practical experiences from agri-food clusters in Egypt and comparable contexts, alongside key enablers such as policy, finance, innovation, and partnership models.

2- Strengthening Health and Nutrition Through Food Safety Policies: A Path to Food Loss Reduction: examining how food safety policies influence food loss across value chains, highlighting policy gaps, good practices, and the role of standards and quality infrastructure in reducing losses.

3- Agro-Industrial Integration: Effective Solutions for Food Manufacturing Challenges, in partnership with the Chamber of Food Industries, exploring how stronger agriculture–industry linkages can improve collaboration, address manufacturing challenges, and showcase practical agro-industrial integration solutions.

03/06/2026

TIGARA holds its second technical committee meeting on cluster development

The second meeting for the cluster development technical committee under the TIGARA project was convened on 1 June 2026, at the Ministry of Industry in the New Administrative Capital. Bringing together government partners, national stakeholders, counterparts, and key representatives of TIGARA’s selected cluster. The meeting aimed to review the progress on component activities and the action plan for the target clusters.

Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Ahmed Maghawry Diab, Head of the Developmental Projects Unit (DPU) and Commercial Plenipotentiary Minister, Assistant Minister for International Cooperation, Ministry of Industry, and Ms. Ebe Muschialli, TIGARA Project Manager at UNIDO.

The agenda included an overview of the committee’s mandate, a review of progress to date, and technical presentations on the cluster development component activities in three governorates: Gharbia for textile and honey clusters, Assiut for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs), and New Valley for Dates.

Key discussions focused on TIGARA’s planned interventions per selected cluster to strengthen institutional coordination, upgrade value chains, improve product quality, support digital transformation, and enhance market access at national and international levels. The discussions also addressed access to finance and services, and an overview of the latest workshop for the honey cluster in Gharbia with the participation of leading Financial Institutions and MSMEDA, and the related recommendations.

The European Union support to trade, industry, growth and rapid market access (TIGARA) is a project funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO / UNIDO Egypt) in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation & Egyptian Expatriates, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade. Our mission is to drive trade growth and support Egypt's economic development through a focus on export orientation and enhanced competitiveness of the industrial sector.

01/06/2026

Join TIGARA at FI Africa from 2-4 June

20/05/2026

On World Metrology Day 2026, UNIDO joins the global community in celebrating the theme “Metrology: Building Trust in Policy Making.”
This theme highlights a simple but powerful message: when decisions are based on reliable measurements, trust is strengthened.

Trusted measurements are essential to everyday life. They protect consumers, support fair trade, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and contribute to climate action and sustainable development.

Driven by this vision, UNIDO is leveraging the European Union-funded TIGARA project to strengthen Egypt’s Quality Infrastructure system. This support helps industries and SMEs improve product quality, meet market requirements, access new opportunities, and build greater confidence in Egyptian products and services, both locally and internationally.

Discover how UNIDO puts metrology into practice:
🔗 Revised Quality Policy Trilogy: https://lnkd.in/deiquDvp
🔗 QI4SD Index: https://lnkd.in/dKrDVxDr

18/05/2026

We are hiring!

The European Union support to trade, industry, growth and rapid market access TIGARA project, implemented by UNIDO Egypt, is looking for an "International Scrap and Waste Materials Inspection Expert (Metal & Plastic)"

Duty Station: Home Based

Category: International Consultant

Application Deadline: 01-Jun-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

For more information & to apply: https://careers.unido.org/job/Home-Based-International-Scrap-and-Waste-Materials-Inspection-Expert-%28Metal-&-Plastic%29/1352477155/

Application Deadline: 01-Jun-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

International Scrap and Waste Materials Inspection Expert (Metal & Plastic)

13/05/2026

Building strategic communications capacities to support GOEIC’s outreach and visibility

As part of the EU-funded TIGARA Projects’ collaboration with the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC) under its quality infrastructure component, a four-day capacity building programme on strategic communications was held in Cairo from 26 to 29 April 2026, at GOEIC premises.

Aiming to strengthen GOEIC’s visibility and stakeholder engagement at national and international levels, the training combined interactive sessions with practical exercises, equipping GOEIC teams with tools and techniques to maximise their institutional outreach.

The programme covered a wide range of topics, including setting strategic objectives, audience segmentation and messaging, channel selection, storytelling, content creation for multiple platforms and practical skills in photography and short reels production.

Key results of the training include:

1. Identifying GOEIC’s communications objectives and alignment with its strategic mandate.
2. Enhanced capacity to tailor messages to different audiences and stakeholders.
3. Improved storytelling and content creation techniques adapted to digital platforms
4. Hands-on experience in producing photos and short video reels to enrich GOEIC’s outreach.
5. Practical skills in using META Business Suite for content scheduling, monitoring, and reporting.

The European Union support to trade, industry, growth and rapid market access TIGARA project is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade. The project aims to drive trade growth and support Egypt’s economic development through export orientation and enhanced competitiveness of the industrial sector.

12/05/2026

Procurement Notice

UNIDO has published RFx 7000008474 on its Procurement Portal for the Provision of Consultancy Services for Developing a Comprehensive Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Manual for Pre‑Harvest and Post‑Harvest for Dates Varieties (Saeidy, Majdoul, and Barhi etc.) in the New Valley Governorate Dates Cluster, Egypt.

Deadline for submissions: 20 May at 23:59:59 CET.

Interested service providers are invited to consult the portal for full details:

UNIDO currently has an e-portal for submission of offers electronically, as listed below under "Current Opportunities".  In order to be able to participate in one of these opportunities, kindly register for a bidder account. If you have an account, click here log in.

11/05/2026

Positioning Egypt’s textile industry for growth

The European Union support to trade, industry, growth and rapid market access TIGARA project, implemented by UNIDO Egypt, conducted intensive factory visits in El Mahalla El Kubra, one of Egypt’s most strategic textile hubs and a cornerstone of national industry, employment and export growth, during April 2026.

The objective of these visits is to support the development of a comprehensive textile business plan for the cluster, grounded in real factory-level insights and aligned with market needs and growth opportunities.

Engaging directly with home textiles and ready-made garments manufacturers, the visits went beyond observation. The team worked closely on factory floors to assess production systems, optimise workflows, and strengthen industrial engineering and planning practices.

Through this hands-on collaboration, the project aims to deliver practical, tailored solutions that drive measurable gains in productivity, operational efficiency, and competitiveness, reinforcing the textile sector’s role as a key driver of economic growth and job creation in Egypt.

European Union in Egypt
UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development Organization