The Diplomat published on 16 April 2020 an analysis titled "China and Ethiopia, Part 4: Mekelle Industrial Park" by Istvan Tarrosy, Zoltan Voros, and Seife Hailu Gebreslassie.
The Mekelle Industrial Park in Tigray State follows the Chinese model and houses mainly Asian companies. The focus is on textiles and apparel. The success of this and other industrial parks depends in large part on the supporting infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and modern technology. The Mekelle Industrial Park still has some distance to go in this regard.