Eastern Europe: From SDG assessment to policy solutions

The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) assessment conducted in this chapter indicates that Eastern Europe has solid foundations in energy access, employment and infrastructure development. However, progress in key areas such as innovation, clean energy and resource efficiency has been slow. Additionally, there has been a strong deceleration of economic growth rates in recent years, calling for targeted interventions to spur industrial competitiveness and bring the region closer to achieving the SDGs by 2030. This chapter presents opportunities for SDG acceleration through digitalization, clean energy production, foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction and regional integration. There is an emerging shift towards more active industrial policy interventions in some parts of the region, suggesting a renewed consensus on the importance of industrial development. However, numerous challenges hamper the successful formulation and deployment of industrial policies. Case studies from the region underscore the importance of collaboration with relevant stakeholders, industrial policy continuity and cross-regional alignment for successful implementation of industrial policy and sustainable growth.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure