Workshop on Needs of Enterprises in Textiles Sector of Albania: Ways to Ensure Sustainability and Competitiveness

Background Information

Albania’s textiles, clothing, leather, and footwear (TCLF) sector faces challenges in progressing beyond basic assembly (Cut-Make-Trim, CMT model) processes, limiting its potential for value-added activities like design, sourcing, and branding. Additionally, the sector struggles with adopting sustainable business practices, hindering its alignment with EU standards and long-term competitiveness.

UNIDO’s technical assistance, through the Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) methodology, supports Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in optimizing processes, reducing waste, and improving energy/resource efficiency to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since 2022, under the Joint UN Program Business4SDGs, UNIDO has trained twenty national experts and assisted six companies in the TCLF sector to assess performance and implement necessary improvements, which potentially could bring up to EUR 239,531 savings annually with one-time investment of EUR 332,626 in 29 suggested measures.

The ongoing joint initiative Innovative solutions for efficient and sustainable TCLF enterprises, implemented by UNIDO and ILO as a part of Business4SDGs program, aims to enhance the capacity of the sector by improving technical skills and promoting sustainability awareness. 

The program benefits Albanian companies contributing to a more inclusive and competitive future for the industry. To assess the current situation in the sector, a national survey of TCLF companies was conducted by UNIDO in 2024- 2025 with 120 companies to collect data on productivity, technology, digitalization, and sustainability gaps. These findings, aligned with SDGs 8, 9, and 12, will guide further UNIDO activities under the program to support TCLF companies in transitioning towards improved competitiveness, sustainability, and productivity increase while guiding introduction of new business models. The results of this survey and the associated recommendations to improve the situation in the sector will be shared at the workshop.

Rationale of the meeting

As Albania progresses towards EU integration, the meeting will address key issues facing the TCLF sector, including the need for sustainable business practices and improved productivity, transition to a new business operation model ensuring value addition and introduction of more services contributing to the value chain. The meeting will focus on discussing the results of a national UNIDO survey, which highlights gaps in technology, digitalization, sustainability, and productivity of companies in the TCLF sector. Experts in the field will exchange insights on how to overcome these gaps while moving toward resource efficiency, circular economy practices, and green production models, in line with EU sustainability goals.

Expected Outcomes
The expected outcomes of the meeting include:
• understanding of the sector’s challenges and growth opportunities
•identification of knowledge and technological gaps in the TCLF sector
•ways of improving sustainability practices and overall situation in the sector

Participants will discuss strategies for enhancing the sector's competitiveness, improving productivity, and ensuring alignment with EU's Single Market for Green Products (SMGP), which imposes certain sustainability standards. The event will provide a platform for identifying concrete solutions and next steps that can help Albanian companies transition to more sustainable, higher-value operations. Special attention will be given to enhancing the sector's capacity to create jobs, particularly for women, youth, and vulnerable groups, ensuring inclusive growth.

Participants

The meeting is expected to gather textile and footwear sector key stakeholders, including academia, government (Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation (MEK), Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy (MIE), Ministry of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate), sector associations, companies, RECP experts, civil society.

Language, Location and Registration
Language: Albanian/English with interpretation

Format: 

Hybrid. Zoom link will be provided to registered participants for online participation in due course.

Location: 

Plazza Hotel, “Marlin Barleti” meeting room, Tirane, Albania
Please, use the following link to register: https://forms.gle/7dyfR9hYNAesA42M6

Deadline for registering: 26 May 2025

About the Project

Business Partnerships for the SDGs (Business4SDGs) is a United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP) implemented by FAO, ILO, UNDP, and UNIDO funded by Sweden. It aims to strengthen the capacity of Albania’s private sector to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through sustainable business practices, responsible production, and policy engagement.

The programme focuses on two main areas:
1. Technical Capacity – Equipping businesses with skills and tools to implement sustainable and efficient practices.
2. Enabling Ecosystem – Raising awareness on sustainability, building partnerships, and supporting policy dialogue.
 

The initiative engages a wide range of actors—businesses, chambers of commerce, associations, and development agencies—while fostering international-local cooperation. Please, contact Ms. Dorisa Cela, Associate administrator of the project, at d.cela@unido.org for more information.

Download the Draft Agenda