The final day of the WAIPA Global Leadership & Innovation in Investment Promotion Masterclass, held in collaboration with the World Free Zones Organization (World FZO), marked a powerful culmination to an intensive week of high-level learning and strategic exchange.
Unlike traditional classroom settings, Day 4 took participants into the heart of innovation through exclusive site visits to Geneva’s most forward-thinking institutions: FONGIT, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and CERN. These visits offered invaluable insights into how Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) can better connect policy, innovation, and ecosystem building.
FONGIT | From Startup Seeds to Market-Ready Innovation
The day began at Switzerland’s premier tech incubator, FONGIT (Fondation Genevoise pour l’Innovation Technologique). As Geneva’s oldest innovation incubator, FONGIT plays a pivotal role in nurturing early-stage startups that transform advanced research into commercially viable solutions.
Participants explored:
- How innovation hubs de-risk investment for early-stage companies
- Strategies for supporting startups in healthtech, cleantech, and fintech
- The role of local governments and public-private partnerships in scaling innovation ecosystems
The session emphasized the importance of targeted support, entrepreneurial capacity building, and funding pathways that allow innovation to thrive beyond ideation.
World Economic Forum | Strategic Foresight and the Power of Global Networks
Next, participants visited the World Economic Forum Headquarters, where they engaged with key strategic tools and networks shaping the global investment agenda:
- Strategic Intelligence Platform: A digital tool offering more than 280 issue maps that link global challenges to investment decisions.
- Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network: A hub of national centers driving the ethical and responsible adoption of emerging technologies.
- Innovator Communities: Including 200+ Technology Pioneers, 100 Global Innovators, and 100 Unicorns, all contributing to global solutions through Forum initiatives.
- Regional Impact Initiatives: Scaling efforts in food security, climate, trade facilitation, and gender equality across continents.
The WEF experience showcased the intersection of foresight, collaboration, and tech-enabled decision-making essential for future-proofing IPA strategies.
CERN | From Particle Physics to Real-World Technology Transfer
The final visit was to CERN, the world-renowned European Organization for Nuclear Research and home to the Large Hadron Collider. But beyond particle physics, CERN is a powerhouse of technology transfer and applied innovation.
Highlights included:
- Real-world applications of CERN technology in medical imaging, cancer therapy, quantum computing, and aerospace
- How CERN’s collaborative model—with 24 member states and global partners—enables frontier R&D
- The role of IPAs in facilitating tech transfer, supporting spin-offs, and engaging industries in applied science
- The strategic importance of training, knowledge dissemination, and public-private investment in research excellence
Key Takeaway: Innovation Is a Collective Effort
Day 4 underscored that the future of investment promotion isn’t just about incentives or branding—it’s about strategic ecosystems. From tech transfer and regulatory readiness to startup acceleration and policy foresight, IPAs are uniquely positioned to bridge science, industry, and public interest.
As this inaugural edition of the WAIPA Masterclass concludes, one clear message emerged:
The next chapter in investment promotion belongs to those who are ready to adapt, collaborate, and lead at the frontier of innovation.
For all of the members that could not join us this time, we will be announcing the next edition very soon.
