Industrialisation is considered a prerequisite for a country or region striving to achieve prosperity and a higher standard of living for its citizens. Industrial development has been called the “quintessential escalator for developing countries”, boosting job creation on a large scale, stimulating innovation, and enhancing productivity across many sectors. Industrialisation, when economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, can also contribute greatly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries.

UNDP and the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (CAITEC) conducted this joint research. Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia were selected for the case studies as among the priority partners of China-Africa capacity cooperation projects in the region with different income levels and resource endowments. The study aims to:

1) provide a country-specific and sector-specific analysis, identifying good practices and lessons across different country contexts

2) deepen the understanding of production capacity cooperation and its role for development cooperation and how African countries can learn from China’s industrialization experience

3) provide practical evidence-based analysis on China’s production capacity cooperation and recommendations on how to tailor it to different country contexts with a view to supporting sustainable industrial development and accelerating SDGs in partner countries.