Agdam sat deserted for almost three decades, completely looted of any material of value, its houses standing as mere skeletons, its streets empty. The ‘before and after’ photos may be rather surprising even among the usual shocking images of post-conflict rebuilding, but they provide a good way of gauging how far things have come since 2020. At present, the Agdam Industrial Park houses 32 companies with a total investment of 145.8 million manats (85 million USD), providing about 1,000 jobs and, according to the latest news, producing safety shoes with trademark registration in all 27 countries of the EU. That last point may not seem very impressive on its own, but it’s important as an indicator of the kind of industrial park that Agdam hopes to be.

The only company from the park currently manufacturing specialized work shoes at its Agdam production unit since 2024, BAFCO Invest LLC has also become the first firm to register an EU trademark. Such an act of law means obtaining brand exclusivity on a single market basis, being able to participate in European government tenders, and establishing the necessary condition for an export business plan - legal protection of the brand name in a court of law. The company's range of products is specialized footwear that complies with EN ISO 20345 and similar international norms and is aimed at the European market, estimated to be worth approximately €4.5 billion a year, with the rate of growth amounting to around 4%, caused by the development of construction industry, legislation on work safety in industries and the necessity of investing in physical infrastructure following the pandemic period. The market of PPE, of which work footwear is a large part, is one of the most heavily regulated, yet demand-oriented markets in the world. In 2025 alone, 34% of all Azerbaijani non-oil exports originated from Izia-managed industrial zones, with exports valued at 1.2 billion manats (approx. 705 million USD). This represents a 13.4% increase year-on-year.

Potential market for Agdam Industrial Park: What can it offer to the EU?

The product range at the Agdam Industrial Park is not limited to what one would expect from a company involved only in reconstruction activities. Its residents have engaged in manufacturing equipment for ventilation and firefighting, metals and metalwork, building materials, roof insulation, pipes, electrical transmission........

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