The reference below to the economic zone project around the Zhengzhou Airport in China is from an article in Air Cargo World that describes an example of the Airport Investment District concept that has been described by Global Logistics Development Partners | GLDPartners.

In development for the past 12 years, the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone is a result of the work of the Henan Provincial Party Committee and Henan Provincial People’s Government.  The ZAEZ is the first state-level airport-based development area in China and represents an important step forward for positioning airports as economic hubs.

There is something to be learned from this project.  The ZAEZ is mainly focused on economic investment objectives, as opposed to the several “aerotropolis” initiatives around the world which tend to be more oriented around the broad planning objectives associated with creating multifaceted airport cities.  For our projects, the economic zone concept has specific and high value, both for supporting direct airport growth, but also for elevating regional or national competitiveness in the marketplace and for systemic integrated economic development around tomorrow’s growth supply chains.

GLDPartners is working now and also has worked on a number of airport economic zone projects, in Asia, the US and in Europe. Through our customized competitiveness model, these projects are referred to as Airport Investment Districts.  These projects are built around specific airport objectives and assets, and a highly detailed custom supply chain proposition that reflects that airport and that region’s/nation’s specific strengths and weaknesses.  Built on a platform associated with strategic global supply chain connectivity these AIDs will function as the catalyst and fulcrum for supporting mutually reinforcing step-change airport and economic region growth.

The current projects that we’re working on in Asia and in North America reflect both national government and local/state-provincial government assets and initiatives.  The core formula for these AIDs involves merging underlying regional competitiveness with existing airport and adjacent land and infrastructure assets, and again with airport route connectivity.  Some of this work involves supporting airport management in developing new routes to strategic supply chain points – and by overlaying passenger business travel with cargo we come to a “market sweet spot” for growth.

 

From Air Cargo World, November 15, 2019

Zhengzhou Airport Crafts Aerotropolis Strategy with Economic Zone Development

Chelsea Toczauer

Zhengzhou Airport (CGO), located in China’s central Henan province, is working to become a Chinese cargo hub with the construction of its Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone (ZAEZ). The airport, which already hosts flights from international carriers such as Cargolux and AirBridgeCargo, has made several moves over the past year to grow its business with the acquisition of fifth freedom rights and signing of agreements with Hungary’s Budapest Airport (BUD) and the Thai government. Today we hear from Celine Hourcade on her consultancy work with Zhengzhou Airport regarding the Economic Zone’s development. At the end of October, she and ten other experts visited the project to advise on its construction and accreditation processes as the airport seeks to boost volumes through attracting carriers, logistics providers and other business, including fintech and sustainable fuel.  Listen to the full podcast Zhengzhou Aerotropolis
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Global Logistics Development Partners | GLDPartners
GLDPartners is an international investment and advisory firm that specializes in revenue and infrastructure development projects at and around high-opportunity airports, seaports and strategic trade and logistics hubs. Additionally, has two other business divisions:
1) we support global manufacturers and distribution operations with network design strategy and facility location analytics, and
2) GLDPartners Mobility Solutions works in the automotive and transportation technology area, focusing on testing and development hubs, public policy, new market entry strategies, infrastructure planning and economic development. 
GLDPartners’ clients and market perspective is global and the firm is headquartered in the US in Scottsdale, Arizona, with offices in New York, Washington DC and in the UK.
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