# Open Zone Map BETA

Mapping the World's Special Economic Zones

# **About the Open Zone Map**

### **Project Overview**

Open Zone Map is the world’s first comprehensive attempt at mapping every single Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

This map was created to improve public understanding of SEZs. Our goal is to inspire other researchers studying SEZs to create their own data sets, sparking a knowledge revolution.

All data used in the map is available, for free, to all researchers. To access the data, please email [study@openzonemap.com](mailto:study@openzonemap.com)

### **Project History**

After the Adrianople Group research team noticed that existing SEZ data was inadequate, they began mapping out the global SEZ ecosystem. Mapping efforts started in September of 2019, and the final map was launched on October 25 2021. The team consisted of 40 researchers and developers. The entire mapping project was funded entirely by the Adrianople Group.

### **Zone Types:**

We divided our map into SEZ zone types, loosely based on the World Bank’s 2008 SEZ types and UNCTAD’s 2018 SEZ types.

**Specialized Economic Zone**: A zone with deep incentives that focuses on a single industry  
**Diversified Zone** : A zone with deep incentives that focuses on a wide variety of industries  
**Free Trade Zone** : A large zone with shallow incentives that focuses on the import and export of goods  
**Export Processing Zone** : A small zone which exclusively has customs and duties incentives  
**Economic Revitalization Project** : A zone that exists to improve the economy of a distressed area, usually through tax incentives  
**Charter City** : A large zone with deep incentives, both a commercial and residential district, and its own school  
**Foreign Trade Zone** : A type of Free Trade Zone which exclusively exists in the US / Canada  
**Other Zone** : Zones that do not fall neatly into any of the above categories

### **Management Type:**

This describes the management of the operating company which manages the SEZ; not the management of the zone itself.

**Private** : The management company which operates the zone is entirely privately owned  
**Public-Private Partnership** : The management company which operates the zone is a public-private partnership  
**Public** : The management company which operates the zone is entirely government owned

### **Activity Status:**

The activity status of the zone, according to its own materials.

**Active** : The zone was active and had tenants as of January 1 2021  
**Inactive** : The zone was active between 2010 and 2020, but it currently is inactive  
**Under Development** : The zone plans on becoming active, but isn’t yet fully active as of January 1 2021

### **Credits:**

Thibault Serlet - Director of Research  
Katarina Serlet - Head of Product  
Herzon Flores - Chief Technical Officer  
Aleksa Burmazovic - Assistant Director of Research  
Ryan Dixon - Director of Data Entry  
Fergal Hourigan - Data Science Director  
Ivette Cano - Assistant Head of Product  
Deborah Avila - UI / UX Design  
Caleb Sousa - Frontend Development  
Niza Gonzalez - Launch Team Leader  
Sam Lombardo - Research  
Kaj Jez - Research  
Guillermo Hernandez - Research  
Cesar Baez - Research  
Michelle Bernier - Research  
Robert Whitesell - Research  
Moritz Bierling - Research  
Dusan Bojkovic - Research  
David Djurovic - Research  
Arthur Tymkiv - Research  
Andriy Yavorskyi - Research  
Mika Miyazaki - Research  
Jingyi Zhao - Research  
Xitong Yu - Research  
Shengrao Wu - Research  
Siqi Ren - Research  
Yu Tao - Research  
Xinru Yan - Research  
Quentin Pagtakhan - Research  
Ugo Stornaiolo Silva - Research  
Brady Christianson - Research  
Maria Saavedra - Logistics  
Nour Boukhary - Design  
Sizo Hlope - Design  
Preston Martin - Strategy and Leadership  
Kai Niedermair - Strategy and Leadership  
Francisco Litvay - Strategy and Leadership  
_Special Thanks:_  
Patri Friedman  
Bradford Cross  
Dr. Mark Lutter  
Kurtis Lockhart  
Alexander Kreindler  
Dr. Michael Castle Miller  
Alonso Cubillas  
Beatriz Costa  
Hericles de Melo  
James Forster  
James Morgan  
Joaquín Obes  
José Paredes  
Joyce Brand  
Kovid Bhaduri  
Lhexi Valeriano  
Nivida Arias  
Maria Amare

### **Visualize our Data:**

SEZ Type % by Region

Regions and Zone Types  
Filter:
All

### **Top 15 Zone Types Tree Map**

### **Status by Region Sunburst**

### **Top 15 Zone Types Tree Map Circles**

Made with Flourish • [Create a hierarchy graph](https://flourish.studio/visualisations/treemaps/?utm_source=showcase&utm_campaign=visualisation/7621506)