Istanbul, Turkey, 19-20 February 2019 – The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) organized its first training course on Innovation in Investment Attraction as part of the FDI Excellence Series in collaboration with Andreas Dressler.

 

Investment promotion officials from 21 investment promotion agencies (IPAs) all around the world including Albania, Iran, Guinea, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mali, Lebanon, Niger, Gambia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Jordan, Cameroon, Uganda, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Brunei and Macao attended 2-days long program, which focused on the latest developments that are shaping foreign direct investment as well as the most exciting advances in the field of investment attraction.

The courses offered a dynamic mix of lectures and interactive sessions. Participants had a chance to learn about:

  • Global FDI trends including changes in geographical investment flows and the types of projects locating in different areas of the world.
  • Current drivers of FDI and the impact of geopolitical developments.
  • Industry trends and the emergence of new sectors that are generating increased investment activity.
  • The impact of new technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence on investment and FDI attraction strategies.
  • The changing role of investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and new models for investment promotion around the world.
  • Innovative approaches and best practices in different areas of investment attraction, including marketing, lead generation and aftercare.
  • The growing use of technology in investment attraction and successful cases of IPAs that are applying new technological solutions.

Guest lecturers included Dr. Ratchanee Wattanawisitporn from Thailand Board of Investment who spoke about how BOI’s investment attraction efforts reflect Thailand’s overall innovation and diversification goals and the important role of FDI in contributing to these goals. Furthermore, Prof. Ronald Wall from the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) revealed pioneering work on the geography of FDI flows from world cities to African cities and presented various concepts and techniques to measure urban and regional competitiveness for attraction FDI. Christian Kollinsky from WAVTEQ addressed the practical implications of sustainability for the day-to-day business of investment attraction. Moreover, Guvenc Sozen from İTÜ Çekirdek provided advice for how locations can build a successful innovation ecosystem. And last but not least, Ilker Sahin from AVL Turkey shared his insight into how corporate investors select locations for innovative centers and what they look for in terms of investment environment and government support.

IMG_0900 edited-min

Some testimonials from the training participants:

  • The quality of the content and presenters made this an invaluable experience for me. The stated objectives of the course were exceeded. Well done WAIPA. By Mr. Roderick Cherry, CEO, Invest Saint Lucia
  • The training was interactive and exciting and broadened my horizons in attracting investments to Gambia. By Hamey. B. Jawara, Manager, Investment Promotion & Facilitation, Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA)
  • I am of the view that the workshop was interactive and comprehensive. I have learned so much from this training which I will definitely use in my organization. By Sheku Lexmond Koroma, CEO, Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA)
  • Training organisation was excellent! Presented topics and lecturers deserve the best evaluation. I can say that I have learned several things on innovative approaches in FDI attraction. By Amir Kazic, Senior Advisor, Regional Representative, Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FIPA)
  • Content of the course was very rich, useful and adapted to nowadays reality. Overall very useful and interesting course! By Liliana Santos Leong, Technical Assistant, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute
  • This training course was the best training I had during my work experience. The knowledge of the trainers and up-to-date information impressed us. Thank you. By Ali Hussein Qussairy, Senior Investment Promotion Officer, Jordan Investment Commission
  • The course was really informative, gave me insights on thinking out of the box and I will try to incorporate new ideas in our services and implement promotional ideas. By Lina Fakhoury, Director of Information and Promotion Directorate, Investment Development authority of Lebanon (IDAL)

More pictures are available here