Cairo: Minister of Industry Khaled Hashem affirmed the ministry's commitment to providing all necessary support to Schneider Electric to facilitate industrial procedures, helping the company expand production, meet domestic market demand, and increase exports to international markets.According to State Information Service Egypt, these remarks came during the Minister's meeting with Sebastien Riez, CEO and Cluster President of Schneider Electric for the North East Africa and Levant (NEAL) Region. The discussions focused on the company's current and future expansion plans in the Egyptian market, as well as opportunities to enhance local manufacturing and the competitiveness of Egyptian-made products.Hashem stressed the importance of increasing the local content ratio and deepening local manufacturing across the company's product range. This approach aims to strengthen the competitiveness of Egypt's industrial sector and contribute to import substitution. He noted that achieving this could benefit from the m inistry's local supplier development program.The Minister also emphasized the strategic importance of expanding the use of clean and renewable energy applications. This step is seen as crucial for reducing manufacturing costs and supporting the sustainability of Egyptian products in global markets, particularly as energy efficiency and sustainability standards have become key determinants of international competitiveness.Hashem highlighted the potential for Schneider Electric to join the ministry's "Industry Sun" initiative. This initiative aims, in its first phase, to install rooftop solar power stations with a total capacity of up to 1,000 megawatts at around 7,000 factories across Egypt. The initiative also includes implementing the Energy Service Companies (ESCO) model to assess factories' energy consumption and provide the necessary technical support to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs.Sebastien Riez, representing Schneider Electric, reviewed the company's future plans to expand its fa ctory in Badr City, increase production and sales, and raise the local content ratio in its products to 85 percent in the coming period. He stated that the company's operations in Egypt cover digital transformation in energy management, automation, and sustainability. The Badr City factory currently has a local content ratio of around 80 percent, exports about 50 percent of its production to more than 35 countries, and provides employment for approximately 650 workers.