The Business Center of the Iraqi Federation of Industries (IFI) was inaugurated on 9th December 2025. Funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) in the framework of the project “Establishing a platform for innovative ideas and technologies for local industrial sectors in Iraq” implemented by the Italian Investment and Technology Promotion Office of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO ITPO Italy) in collaboration with IFI, the Business Center will now allow to support Iraqi industrial development, technology transfer, and international partnerships.

The inauguration ceremony featured the welcome remarks of IFI President Adel Okab, the Ambassador of Italy to Iraq H.E. Niccolò Fontana, and UNIDO National Technical Coordinator for Iraq Dr. Abdulhadi Al Hatem, at the presence of over 100 representatives of the Iraqi public and private sector. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, business presentations were held by Italian companies attending the event, followed by an engaging Q&A, B2B, and networking session with local companies and institutions moderated by UNIDO ITPO Italy, further allowing the development of synergies for collaboration between Italy and Iraq.

“Italian cooperation with Iraq is highly respected and appreciated” commented IFI President Adel Okab. “The presence of H.E. the Ambassador today at the opening of the IFI Business Center represents significant support for the Iraqi industrial sector. Italy has always stood with Iraq in all its social, economic, and even political developments, and the Business Center will play a major role and be of great benefit to industrialists, entrepreneurs, and innovators in the coming phase.”

“Italy’s contribution goes beyond funding” replied Ambassador of Italy to Iraq H.E. Niccolò Fontana. “It provides a culture of quality and accountability. In agribusiness and industrial sectors, Italian experience and know how can add value precisely where Iraq is investing for its future. The Professional Agriculture Tour and the inauguration of the Business Center are pointing in this direction.”

“With this Business Center we are inaugurating a new bridge linking the deep-rooted heritage of Mesopotamia with the experience and industrial excellence of Italy”, added UNIDO National Technical Coordinator for Iraq Dr. Abdulhadi Al Hatem. “We are confident that this professional dialogue will evolve into strategic partnerships and tangible projects that will serve both countries.”

This event took place during the “P.A.T. - Professional Agriculture Tour in Iraq”, organized by UNIDO ITPO Italy from 8th to 11th December 2025 in Baghdad for a delegation of Italian companies operating in agribusiness and agritech: a valuable opportunity to deepen the understanding of the Iraqi business environment, its challenges, and needs. To this end, the P.A.T. included company visits to local supermarkets and wholesale markets, rural plantations and greenhouses, cooling and refrigeration stores, micropropagation labs, date-processing plants, as well as institutional meetings — namely the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture, the Iraqi Federation of Chambers of Commerce (IFCC), the recently-inaugurated Iraq Italy Business Council (IIBC), the Iraqi House of Fashion, and incubators such as Hub 200 and Makers of Baghdad.

The inauguration of the Business Center and P.A.T. overall represented a milestone achievement in the longstanding collaboration among Italy, Iraq, and UNIDO, and paved the way for the next steps in the framework of this project, characterizing on agritech and agribusiness themes the future incubator within the newly established IFI Business Center.