Special Economic Zones in the OIC Region:
Learning from Experience
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5.7 Case Study 6: Bole Lemi Industrial Park, Ethiopia
5.7.1 Overview and Description
The Bole Lemi Industrial Park is located in the Addis Ababa Metropolitan region. It is Ethiopia's
first industrial park, developed by the Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC). The
first phase of Bole Lemi started operations in 2014. It is focused on the clothing, textiles and
apparel sector and aims to export the vast majority of the products from the industrial park.
Figure 40 – Bole Lemi Industrial Park
Source: BBC (2017) C&H Garment Factory.
5.7.2 Spatial Profile
The first phase of Bole Lemi covers an area of 156 ha, within the Addis Ababa Metropolitan. The
site is located southeast of the city centre, 9km east of the Addis Airport. It is connected to the
road network, but does not have direct access to the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Highway. The
distance to the nearest seaport, which is the Port of Djibouti is more than 500 km. However, the
park is located relative close to the Modjo Dry Port with a distance of approximately 50 km.
Phase 2 of Bole Lemi Industrial Park is under construction, covering approximately 186 ha of
land, adjacent to the first phase of the park.
Infrastructure
On-site infrastructure is provided for by the developers of the park. In the case of Bole Lemi, it
is therefore the responsibility of the Industrial Parks Development Corporation. Off-site
transport infrastructure is the responsibility of the national government.
With regards to specific on-site infrastructure: