Thanks to the technical support of Zest Innovation, from 29 September to 3 October 2025 the training course “Development of the Iraqi Innovation System” was held in Rome.
The initiative, organized by UNIDO ITPO Italy – the Italian Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) – benefited a delegation of business managers representing the Federation of Iraqi Industries (IFI) and other public and private stakeholders from the country.
This activity is part of a broader set of initiatives carried out by UNIDO ITPO Italy in support of IFI within the framework of the project “Establishing a platform for innovative ideas and technologies for local industrial sectors in Iraq”, implemented by UNIDO ITPO Italy with the financial support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
Over the five-day training program, held at The HUB in Via Marsala, Rome – home of Zest Innovation – the five Iraqi managers participated in a series of seminars, workshops, mentoring sessions, and peer-learning activities with experts in innovation and industrial development, exploring international best practices to be adapted and applied within the Iraqi context.
The program concluded with a certificate award ceremony, attended virtually by the President of IFI, reaffirming the shared commitment of all parties involved to promote international cooperation and innovation as key drivers of inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Iraq, in line with UNIDO’s mandate.
Zest Innovation and UNIDO ITPO Italy: together to promote international cooperation and innovation as drivers of inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Iraq.
“UNIDO ITPO Italy has been working in Iraq for years to support the local private sector through the implementation of technical assistance initiatives targeting institutions, associations, and enterprises,” said Andrea Carapellese, Deputy Head of UNIDO ITPO Italy and focal point for the Office’s activities in Iraq.
“In recent years, we have focused particular attention on the IFI Business Center, for which we are now developing services and training programs to establish an incubator that fosters bottom-up innovative ideas, starting from the agribusiness sector and aiming to strengthen the national startup ecosystem.
The strategic role of UNIDO ITPO Italy,” Carapellese continued, “lies in building multi-stakeholder partnerships oriented towards sustainability, by creating synergies among academia, the startup ecosystem, traditional industry, venture capital and finance, the third sector, and NGOs — also by indirectly supporting the Italian startup ecosystem through opportunities for internationalization, convergence between business and development cooperation, and strategic partnerships with emerging innovation hubs in developing countries.”
“With Zest Innovation, we aim to foster a cultural change by addressing needs and challenges that drive innovation processes,” said Antonella Zullo, CEO of Zest Innovation.
“Through our support programs and long-standing experience, we strive to renew structural approaches — starting with training and grounded in key values such as social, environmental, and governance sustainability.”
Together with Matteo Paradisi, Head of International Ecosystem Development at Zest Innovation and project coordinator, Zullo emphasized:
“This program perfectly embodies Zest’s spirit — to innovate responsibly, to encourage entrepreneurship, and to create value for all stakeholders and territories, laying the foundations for a stronger future for generations to come.”