Tuesday, November 10, 2026 - to - Thursday, November 12, 2026
Geneva, Switzerland
30th WAIPA World Investment Conference (WIC2026)
Marking 30 Years of Connecting Capital with Opportunity
The World Investment Conference (WIC), WAIPA’s flagship annual event, has served since 1996 as the leading global platform for dialogue on international investment. Bringing together key stakeholders of global investment community, including senior policymakers, business executives, IPA heads, international organizations, WIC provides a unique forum to assess global investment trends, share practical experience, build partnerships, and advance investment for development.
Welcome to World Investment Conference 2026
The World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) has announced that its 30th World Investment Conference (WIC) will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, in collaboration with the Geneva Convention Bureau and the WAIPA Presidency, the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA).
The 30th edition represents both a celebration and a forward-looking platform. Over the past thirty years, IPAs have evolved into strategic institutions — identifying global trends, advising governments, supporting investors across the investment lifecycle, and ensuring that investment translates into jobs, innovation and long-term economic impact.
WAIPA Returns to Geneva: A Vision for Global Investment
The conference returns to Geneva — the birthplace of WAIPA and the seat of its Permanent Secretariat. It was here, in 1995, that WAIPA was established by a coalition of more than 59 Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), in collaboration with UNCTAD, reflecting a shared commitment to international cooperation in investment promotion.
Three decades later, that founding vision continues to unite a global community of IPAs that play a central role in guiding investment flows, strengthening national competitiveness, and advancing sustainable development.
Programme Details
Under the theme “Promoting Investment for Shared Prosperity: Resilient and Sustainable”, WIC 2026 is expected to attract 6,000–8,000 participants (broadly in line with attendance at the past three conferences) and feature more than 100 sessions and engagements across six pillars: the Leaders Vision, High-level Panels, Thematic Sessions, Executive Focus, Partnership Exchanges, and Business Engagement. Together, these sessions will address the major issues shaping investment today and tomorrow, from geopolitics and industrial policy to sustainable finance, digital infrastructure, supply chain resilience, responsible business conduct, and domestic value creation.
A Platform for Dialogue, Cooperation and Results
Since its inception, the WIC has served as the premier global forum for investment promotion and cooperation. It brings together IPAs, ministers, policymakers, business leaders, international institutions and distinguished thought leaders — including Nobel laureates — to shape responses to evolving global investment dynamics.
In recent years, the WIC has increasingly delivered tangible outcomes. Dedicated B2B meetings at recent editions have generated more than US$ 1 billion in combined investment opportunities.
The 30th edition will address the profound transformations reshaping global investment flows — from digital transformation and sustainability transitions to supply chain realignment and geopolitical shifts — and explore how investment promotion agencies can adapt and lead in this evolving landscape.
Celebrating 30 Years — And Looking Ahead
The 30th WIC will reflect on three decades of achievement while setting the strategic direction for the future.
In a rapidly evolving global economy, IPAs remain essential bridges between governments and investors — aligning capital with national development priorities, enhancing competitiveness and contributing to sustainable and inclusive growth. As global investment patterns continue to shift, the event will serve as a moment of reflection, renewal and strategic direction for the international investment community.
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