Durana Tech Park in Albania Joins the Western Balkans Eco-Industrial Parks Initiative

The Durana Tech Park science and technology complex, managed by the state-owned Albanian Investment Corporation (AIC), has officially joined the network of pilot sites under the Western Balkans Eco-Industrial Parks Initiative, BalkanEngineer.com learned from the Albanian Telegraph Agency (ATA). The international project is led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, in strategic partnership with the European Union. Funding for this large-scale transformation is provided by the European Commission through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), with the program tied to the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan for the region through 2027.

The inclusion of the site, located in the country’s strategic economic corridor between the capital Tirana and the port city of Durrës, marks the park’s transition from the conceptual planning phase to the actual construction of Albania’s first physical eco-industrial zone. The operational program is fully aligned with the criteria of the European Green Deal for industrial decarbonization. Under this agreement, IFC experts have already launched a series of technical and planning sessions with the park’s management and representatives of the Albanian Ministry of Economy and Innovation, focused on the design of modern solar systems for self-power generation, industrial wastewater treatment plants, and circular waste management facilities.

The institutional commitment at the national level aims to position Albania as a competitive destination for foreign capital by providing ready-to-use business sites that comply with international environmental regulations. Deputy Minister of Economy Enkeleid Musabeliu linked the project to the country’s long-term strategy for attracting high-value-added technology companies. On behalf of the European Union Delegation in Tirana, Head of the Cooperation Sector Ritva Heikinen described the initiative as practical proof that industrial growth and environmental standards can coexist, facilitating the integration of local businesses into the European market.

The program’s economic analysis projects direct financial benefits for future tenants on the campus through the introduction of so-called eco-industrial management services, and Durana Tech Park Executive Director Florensa Hadi Kovaci explained that shared resource use and an optimized energy network will significantly reduce companies’ operating costs. According to the World Bank’s Regional Manager for Albania, Massimiliano Paolucci, it is precisely this reduction in production costs and the improvement of the overall business climate that form the basis for attracting large-scale private investment, which in the long term will ensure the creation of stable and higher-paying jobs in the region.

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