World FZO’s 2nd Annual Free Zone of the Future Conference

May 2016 marked the World Free Zones Organization’s second annual World FZO conference and exhibition, held this year in Dubai, UAE. The three-day international conference and exhibition, entitled “Global Value Chain: Opportunities for the Free Zone of the Future,” hosted nearly 700 attendees from over 76 countries. Speakers included the UAE Minister of Economy, the Chairperson of the World FZO, the Global Product Leader from the World Bank, as well as other important economic leaders from the US, UAE, and Netherlands.

As one of only two organizations from North America on the World FZO Board of Directors, Georgia Foreign-Trade Zone participated in the conference, representing the highly successful Foreign-Trade Zone program in the United States.

This year, the conference was motivated toward discussion of global value chains (GVCs). When activities are organized across a number of countries, GVCs represent all the entities involved in making that happen. From the production of a product or initiation of a service to the distribution of that product or service across the globe, GVCs incorporate all the stationary and moving parts at each end and in between.

To this effect, the panels and workshops offered at the international conference discussed the role, difficulties, and necessities of GVCs in the present day and in the future. For example, one panel delved into the evolution of GVCs in an increasingly independent world, while another, moderated by Georgia Foreign-Trade Zone President & CEO Julie Brown, focused on the role and viewpoint of multinational corporations (MNCs). One strategic workshop looked at the “Smart” World Free Zones Readiness Roadmap and debated on how to best aid current and future free zones to innovate technologically, pull in investment and engage stakeholders, all while establishing and maintaining best standards. More than 40 speakers presented at panels related to these issues, with at least 49 different news and media channels covering the event.

The World Free Zones Organization is a not-for-profit body that represents the interests of the global free zone community. It offers management support, training and development programs, and research and analysis on free zones. The World FZO is the first global organization of its kind created to raise awareness of the benefits that Free Zones provide around the world including foreign direct investment, innovation, job creation, and economic stability.

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