Summary

If the current model of industrialization persists, more than 3 billion people will remain below the poverty line by 2050, with 95% of the world’s poor concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, primarily in Africa, according to a new report by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). At the same time, industry remains one of the main drivers of socio-economic transformation. The manufacturing sector accounts for 53% of global R&D spending, holds 60% of “green” patents, and each job in manufacturing generates more than two additional jobs in related sectors. Developing countries lag behind advanced economies across three critical dimensions: manufacturing intensity, technological productivity, and environmental efficiency. These imbalances are further exacerbated by global megatrends, including the energy transition, digitalization, the reconfiguration of global value chains, demographic shifts, and the transformation of food systems. As UNIDO experts note, Asia, Africa, Eastern and Central Europe, and Latin America possess significant industrial potential in areas such as agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, green energy, and digital technologies. Unlocking this potential requires addressing infrastructure, institutional, skills-related, and financial constraints.