Seminar on Tripoli as capital of knowledge economy

In cooperation with the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Tripoli and the Chamber for Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tripoli and the North, the Lebanese Association for Rural Development (LARD) organized a seminar addressing the integrated relations between development and knowledge-based economy. The seminar entitled ‘Tripoli, a capital for knowledge economy and delocalized work’ took place at the Chamber’s Conference hall in the presence of former minister, head of SEZ, Rayya Hassan, and a number of civil society activists from the region particularly Akkar. LARD President, Jean Mussa, highlighted the role of the Association in developing rural communities, in adopting sophisticated and innovative technology aids that promotes the knowledge economy and contributes to the creation of jobs for youth, namely in Wadi Khaled region. A distinctive feature of knowledge-based economy, Mussa noted, is that it removes boundaries between countries and attracts all forms of direct foreign investments, while taking into account rapid technological changes and, reducing the cost of transportation and communication. For her part, Hassan outlined the first phase of the implementation of the SEZ project, pointing to the landfill adjacent to the zone and which urgently needs to be removed. Hassan praised LARD development efforts and stressed the importance of networking. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, January 18, 2016)