Global Leadership and Innovation in Investment Promotion Certification
WAIPA in collaboration with the World Free Zones Organization (World FZO) presented an exclusive 4-day masterclass program tailored for Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and economic development leaders.
This masterclass equipped participating leaders with the skills and insights needed to navigate and influence the global investment landscape effectively. The program integrated expert-led sessions, practical case studies, and on-site explorations of Swiss innovation hubs, for fostering international investments and enhancing collaboration between IPAs and SEZs.
Top Highlights
Opening Day
Geneva – The inaugural WAIPA Global Leadership & Innovation Masterclass opened with IPA and SEZ leaders, alongside partners like UNCTAD, ILO, WTO, and the World Economic Forum. Hosted with World FZO, the day began with remarks from WAIPA CEO Ismail Ersahin and World FZO Chairman Dr. Mohammed Alzarooni, calling for agile, purpose-driven leadership. A keynote by Dr. James Zhan addressed shifting global investment dynamics and the evolving role of IPAs. Highlights included a panel on global value chains with insights from ProDominicana, Business Finland, and World FZO, and a strategy session led by IDA Ireland on investor advocacy and inclusive KPIs. The day closed with a visit to UNCTAD, focusing on SDG-aligned investment, project bankability, and treaty modernization.
Decent Work, Digital Growth, and Aftercare
Day 2 of the Masterclass opened with a strategic session on investor aftercare, where WAIPA introduced a tiered approach and practical tools to help IPAs strengthen post-investment engagement. A virtual keynote by Nitin Jaiswal spotlighted the longevity economy as a rising investment frontier, urging IPAs to tap into opportunities across AgeTech, wellness, and workforce inclusion. Participants then visited the ILO Headquarters, where discussions focused on aligning investment with decent work, ESG priorities, and inclusive growth. The afternoon featured targeted sessions on attracting digital and medical device FDI, highlighting Finland’s success in data-driven infrastructure investment and Medtronic’s insights on enabling innovation-led health investment.
Digital Tools and Innovation Hubs
Day 3 of the Masterclass explored how technology and global policy are reshaping investment promotion, beginning with a session on GIS-based platforms that showcased how digital land mapping and infrastructure data can streamline site selection and enhance investor services. A visit to Campus Biotech brought this digital transformation to life, with demonstrations of frontier innovations in neuroscience, biotech, and precision medicine illustrating how research ecosystems can drive high-value investment. The day concluded at the WTO Headquarters, where participants engaged with leaders of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement—a global effort to simplify procedures, build capacity, and establish transparency standards for investment. Together, the sessions and site visits highlighted how modern IPAs must combine digital readiness with policy alignment to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving investment landscape.
Exploring Frontier Innovation
Day 4 of the Masterclass concluded the week with a forward-looking focus on innovation, ecosystem building, and global foresight through immersive site visits to FONGIT, the World Economic Forum, and CERN. At FONGIT, participants explored how targeted incubation and public-private support turn research into investable startups, especially in sectors like healthtech and cleantech. The World Economic Forum session highlighted the strategic tools and global networks—such as the Strategic Intelligence Platform and C4IR—that help align investment strategies with emerging technologies and global priorities. At CERN, the group witnessed how frontier science translates into real-world impact through technology transfer in fields from quantum computing to cancer therapy. Across all visits, one message was clear: the future of investment promotion lies in the ability to connect science, policy, and entrepreneurship through collaborative ecosystems.
