USAID launches awareness initiative targeting Jordanian packaging sector

The campaign, entitled "Pack Me" aims to bring together the three main components of the packaging industry: designers, manufacturers and converters, in order to enhance the sector and raise the understanding among sector players of the influence that design and packaging carries with consumers and end users.

Each one of the aforementioned components works and performs well independently, however their competitiveness and productivity could be increased substantially if each commits to including the element of design into their business processes. To address this issue, Mrs. Dana Mansouri, Deputy Mission Director for USAID, stated: "To enhance the packaging industry, the main players must be empowered and directed towards a more collaborative approach," she added. "Design plays a major part in this empowerment, and "design" is the key word for enhancing this sector."

On his part, Rodrigo Ortiz, Chief of Party for the USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ) discussed the role that the packaging sector plays in the Jordanian economy, "In 2006, Jordan exported nearly JD92m of domestic packaging products, compared to JD26m in 2002," demonstrating the potential revenue generation that lies within an enhanced sector.

He added,

"According to recent studies, price is not the only purchasing incentive 65%-85% of all consumers. It is the perceived quality, performance and value that motivates consumers to purchase items,"

re-iterating the added value that design can bring to businesses.

The awareness campaign partners and sponsors, Jordan Chamber of Industry, Jordan Enterprise and Yarmouk University each spoke to their commitment to facilitate a more collaborative environment to ensure a productive sector. The aim of this facilitation can empower networking opportunities, which showcase the output of academia and can trigger the private sector to absorb and create jobs for the new graduates.

The launch of the awareness initiative was followed by a Celebration of the World Industrial Design Day 2008, which included a series of speakers and presentations from members of the sector and Yarmouk University Industrial Design students. WIDD is a global event, which brings attention to the important advancements of industrial design, and its contribution to the industrial community.

The USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ) is a five year broad economic development initiative implemented by BearingPoint, Inc. and a sizeable team of international and Jordanian partner firms. By both supporting improvements in the business environment and providing assistance to expand innovation and productivity in Jordanian businesses, to support the main objective of building up the private sector as a powerful engine of economic growth.