UNIDO partnership with illycaffè and Ernesto Illy Foundation was formalized in 2015 within the coffee cluster pavillon at the universal Exposition of Milan 2015 (Expo2015). To date, it has shared value for all stakeholders: the private sector has mobilized its core competencies (skills, know-how, networks, human and financial resources) for improving the quality and production capacity of coffee growers and processors and increase their income, advancing coffee sustainable production, processing and international marketing, in line with development plans of the beneficiary Countries. 

The partnership has been brought to life through technical assistance projects, all financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation; these initiatives have been shaped to address challenges along the coffee value chain, from production and processing to domestic trading and exporting.

Based on the Public Private Partnership model, the partners utilize their respective resources to pursue both sustainable development and business objectives alike. UNIDO has extensive experience designing and implementing technical programmes in the field of agro-industrial development, at the same time, illycaffè brings with it business knowledge and international market experience. Technical assistance has been provided as per below details:

1. Targeting clusters of smallholder farmers and cooperatives, benefitting from training programmes on sustainable farming practices, with adoption of regenerative practices for climate resilience.
2. Shaping the Coffee Training Center, a center of excellence taking steps from the Università del Caffè in Trieste, illycaffè headquarter. The center, the first of its kind in Ethiopia, is aimed at improving the Ethiopian coffee value chain by upgrading the training experience in Ethiopia for all the coffee professionals, with delivery of training on green coffee quality check and control, cupping, coffee roasting and blending, coffee brewing and coffee packaging, for the benefit of the development of the coffee value chain in the Country. 
3. Providing full scholarship for students from Ethiopia and Mozambique to participate to the Master in Coffee Economics and Science, an unique opportunity to transfer the coffee knowledge to the coffee producing countries, increasing opportunities for value addition and integrating suppliers into the Global Coffee Value Chains.
4. Participating in the establishment of the first “Ethiopian Coffee Fund” facilitating local impact investments.
5. Assessing, with technical advisory, the phenological and genomic characterization and the whole Ibo Coffee Research and Development related activities in Mozambique. 

The implementation of the partnership approach in technical cooperation programmes in coffee evidenced UNIDO unique role: the Organization establishes strategic partnerships with beneficiaries, donors and private partners for conceptualizing quality projects, improving impact, optimize resources as well as mobilize funds.