عيسى الخوري: نعمل على تحديث وتطوير الصناعة اللبنانية وجعلها أكثر ابتكارًا

The Adnan Kassar School of Business at the Lebanese American University (LAU) hosted a seminar entitled: “Innovation, Sustainability and the Future of Industry,” as part of the series of seminars and workshops organized by the school. The seminar was attended by and included the participation of the Minister of Industry, Mr. George Issa Al-Khoury, the Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Lebanon, Mr. Frederico Lima, the representative of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Lebanon (EBRD), Mr. Alessandro Vitadini, and the head of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Mr. Salim Zeenni. The seminar was moderated by the Dean of the School, Dr. Dima Jamali, with the participation of the Associate Dean of the School and Professor of Economics, Dr. Ali Fakih, in addition to a crowd of professors, students, and those interested in the Lebanese industry file.

In her introduction, Dr. Jamali considered that “the world is changing and the Lebanese industry needs to keep pace with the times to maintain its competitiveness in the face of other industries.” Dr. Fakih spoke about “the suffering of Lebanese industry despite possessing several capabilities. He pointed out that there are 5,300 registered industrial establishments in various sectors, and this gives Lebanon distinctive qualities that qualify it to possess important capabilities. He urged the combination of sustainability and innovation.”

In his speech, Minister Issa Al-Khoury explained that “government spending in recent years has recorded large figures, of which only a small amount has been allocated to industry.” He added that “the industrial sector employs about 250,000 workers and exports are worth two and a half billion dollars, where the total exports of Lebanon in the first half of 2025 amounted to about 1.745 billion dollars.”

He stressed that he “seeks to restore the industrial sector to the priorities of government attention, and that the Lebanese industry is multi-sectoral and interested and produces components that enter into the manufacture of robots and artificial intelligence, and this is very important to enhance the competitiveness of the Lebanese industry.”

He also pointed out that “Lebanon possesses the talent and ability to innovate through the element of young people who seek to engage in the world of technology and industry, and this is very important.” He considered that “industry is a field for providing jobs for university graduates and human energies.” He explained that he “is working on digital transformation in his ministry to keep pace with the times, and presented the importance of establishing industrial zones to reduce production costs.”

He concluded by saying: “We want to develop a modern, innovative and sustainable Lebanese industry, rooted in our artisanal heritage, to make Lebanon a center for high-quality manufacturing, job creation and export-based growth.” (National News Agency)