Special Economic Zones and Industrial City Development: Strategy, Incentives and Investor Targeting – Paris, 5–9 Apr 2027

Programme overview

Introduction:

Special economic zones and industrial cities absorb large public land, utility and incentive budgets, yet many stay half-let because the value proposition is vague, serviced plots arrive late, incentives are granted without a cost-benefit test and promotion chases every sector at once. This Core Concept course equips zone authority, investment promotion and industrial real estate managers to position a zone, phase land and utilities, structure developer-operator partnerships, price incentives against returns and target anchor tenants. Participants produce an Investment Action Plan for a case industrial city.

Course Objectives:

• Classify zone formats, from free trade zones and export processing zones to industrial parks and bonded logistics parks, and select the format that fits a location's comparative advantage
• Define a zone value proposition and target sector mix using demand, cost-competitiveness and competitor location benchmarking
• Prepare a phased master plan with plot sizing, serviced-land release and utility capacity sequencing linked to absorption forecasts
• Structure developer-operator and public-private arrangements that allocate land, infrastructure and demand risk between the zone authority and private partners
• Design fiscal and non-fiscal incentives and test them with cost-benefit and forgone-revenue analysis
• Run an investor targeting, facilitation and aftercare programme tracked through investment, employment and export KPIs

Target Audience:

• Managers responsible for zone authority strategy, land allocation and tenant regulation
• Investment promotion managers accountable for sector targeting, lead generation and investor facilitation
• Economic development managers who shape industrial policy instruments and incentive packages
• Industrial real estate managers responsible for serviced plots, ready-built factories and leasing
• Infrastructure and utilities planning managers who size power, water, gas and wastewater capacity for industrial tenants
• Partnership and finance managers who structure developer-operator agreements and appraise zone business cases

Course Outline:

Day 1: Zone Formats, Economic Rationale and Location Assessment

• Zone Typology Matrix: Free Trade Zone, Export Processing Zone, Industrial Park and Bonded Logistics Park
• Single-Unit, Hybrid and Large Integrated Zone Models Compared
• Zone Performance Evidence Review: Enclave Risk, Local Linkages and Spillovers
• Location Readiness Scorecard: Labour Pool, Transport Access and Supplier Base
• Existing Zone Diagnostic: Occupancy, Absorption Rate and Tenant Mix Audit

Day 2: Zone Strategy, Value Proposition and Master Planning

• Comparative Advantage and Target Sector Screening Matrix
• Zone Value Proposition Canvas Against Competing Locations
• Industrial Land Demand Forecast and Absorption Curve Modelling
• Master Plan Land Allocation: Heavy, Light, Logistics and Support Service Plots
• Phasing Plan with Serviced-Land Release Triggers

Day 3: Infrastructure, Partnership Models and Incentive Design

• Utility Demand Estimation for Power, Water, Gas and Industrial Wastewater
• Ready-Built Factory Versus Serviced Plot Product Decision
• Developer-Operator, Concession and Joint Venture Structures for Zones
• Fiscal and Non-Fiscal Incentive Menu: Duty Relief, Tax Holidays and Land Pricing
• Incentive Cost-Benefit Model with Forgone Revenue and Jobs per Unit of Support

Day 4: Investor Promotion, Aftercare, Governance and KPIs

• Investor Targeting Funnel: Lead Lists, Qualification and Site Visit Protocol
• One-Stop-Shop Service Catalogue and Licensing Turnaround Standards
• Aftercare and Reinvestment Programme with Tenant Satisfaction Tracking
• Zone Governance Charter: Regulator, Developer and Operator Role Separation
• Zone KPI Dashboard: Committed Investment, Jobs Created and Export Value

Day 5: Case Study: Investment Action Plan for an Industrial City

• Case Study: Repositioning an Under-Occupied Industrial Park
• Case Study: Selecting a Developer-Operator for a New Logistics Zone
• Case Study: Renegotiating an Incentive Package for an Anchor Tenant
• Investment Action Plan Drafting: Target Sectors, Phasing, Incentives and KPIs
• Investment Committee Panel: Action Plan Defence and Peer Challenge

Skills You Will Gain:

• Zone Format Selection
• Target Sector Screening
• Industrial Land Absorption Forecasting
• Serviced Land Phasing
• Zone Partnership Structuring
• Incentive Cost-Benefit Appraisal
• Investor Facilitation and Aftercare
• Zone Performance Monitoring

Why Attend This Course:

• Leave with an Investment Action Plan for a case industrial city, defended before a peer investment committee
• Argue for or against an incentive package with forgone-revenue and jobs evidence rather than precedent
• Match serviced land, utilities and ready-built factories to the tenant sectors a zone can realistically win
• Compare zone practice with peers from zone authorities, investment agencies, developers and utilities in several countries

Conclusion:

Special economic zones and industrial cities succeed when format, sector focus, land release, partnerships, incentives and investor services are decided as one package and measured against clear results. The week moves from zone formats and location assessment, through strategy, value proposition and master planning, to infrastructure, developer-operator models and incentive appraisal, then investor promotion, one-stop-shop services, aftercare, governance and KPIs. The final day applies these methods in case work and produces an Investment Action Plan for a case industrial city ready for an investment committee.