Kosovar-German Innovation and Training Park (ITP) Prizren now open

Gazeta Express

19/05/2020 17:40

Kosovar-German Innovation and Training Park (ITP) Prizren has opened on Tuesday in a ceremony attended by German Ambassador Christian Heldt and caretaker prime minister Albin Kurti. Ambassador Heldt and acting PM Kurti launched the call during a visit at the ITP located in Prizren for applications for national and international businesses and projects to boost economic development.

The Innovation and Training Park (ITP) in Prizren aims to boost the national and regional economy by generating jobs, creating innovations, and offering possibilities for vocational training praxis-oriented learning and research. This project is a joint initiative of the Kosovar and German governments formalized in a Joint Declaration in 2018, and implemented by ITP Association through GIZ.

Ambassador Heldt said successes in sophisticated projects like today’s launching of the ITP are always teamwork. “Teamwork between both our governments, making this a truly joint venture of both our countries. Teamwork of two consecutive Kosovar governments, which shows that continuity of governance is indispensable. Teamwork also of this government, uniting efforts by ministers from both VV and LDK to make this work for the future of the country. We will now enter the operational phase under GIZ management where the first projects already waiting can finally hand in their applications. With the attractiveness of ITP to provide space for unique innovative clusters, I am very confident we will very soon see promising projects creating substantial progress for ITP, Prizren, Kosovo and the region,” Heldt said.

Kosovo caretaker PM Kurti said that there is a long history of cooperation between the Republic of Kosovo and the Federal Republic of Germany which stems from the ties between our peoples to the German support for the liberation of Kosovo. “The post-war contribution to maintaining peace and building Kosovo’s institutions is the highest value that today a former military camp be transformed into a link between local and international businesses, through professional and research education systems, taking the first step of transforming the economy and society by orienting it to an information technology that makes us part of the fourth economic revolution. All this ensuring that through Prizren with an ancient culture and tradition we are offering a perspective to young people to develop their skills and talents by connecting through this Park with the dynamic world labor market. The Government of Germany and the Government of Kosovo are committed to enabling such a thing in the long run, and for this we have taken actions to enable the functioning of this Park,” Kurti said.

This project is a joint initiative of the Kosovar and German governments formalized in a Joint Declaration in 2018, and implemented by ITP Association through GIZ. From 1999 to 2018, the German KFOR contingent was stationed in Prizren and has invested millions in reconstructions and new buildings as well as an impressive infrastructure consisting of quality IT, secure energy and water supply, roads as well as cooling and freezing facilities. Innovators, business developers and start-ups may rent their own space and realize their ideas in an inspiring park environment. /GazetaExpress/