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UID:MEC-f37c4630c796617ace93e19c350c321e@sciencesummitnyc.org
DTSTART:20250701T123000Z
DTEND:20250701T143000Z
DTSTAMP:20250426T140800Z
CREATED:20250426
LAST-MODIFIED:20250630
SUMMARY:Capital Markets for Innovation: Unlocking Science and Technology Investment in Developing Countries
DESCRIPTION:Official Side Event at FfD4\nPlease note that this event is an official off site event of the UN Financing for Development Conference (FfD4). Session ID 2014103\nLocation: Hotel Alfonso XIII – Salon Cartuja, (San Fernando street, 2, Sevilla 41004)\n\nAs the global community prepares for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), this session explores how capital markets and blended finance can unlock investment in science, technology, and innovation (STI) across developing countries.\nDespite its potential to drive breakthroughs in health, climate, and digital inclusion, STI remains disconnected from mainstream capital flows. This high-level session brings together investors, development banks, and policymakers to present scalable, investable solutions for the Global South.\nRecent geopolitical shifts, including the relocation of scientific talent from the United States to Europe in response to changing policy priorities, underscore how capital availability and political environments shape global innovation ecosystems. In this context, developing nations are presented with a unique opportunity, provided they can access the right financial infrastructure.\nThis roundtable convenes leaders from development finance, investment, science, and policy to identify financial innovations that can scale STI ecosystems across the Global South. The urgency is clear: science infrastructure, from talent and IP to research centres and data systems, requires financing tools that are resilient to geopolitical shocks and capable of crowding in private capital at scale.\n \nKey Topics\n\nScience-Driven Venture Capital and Deep-Tech Ecosystems\nBuilding VC models to scale science-based entrepreneurship in LMICs supported by guarantees, co-investment, and regulatory innovation.\nBlended Finance and Philanthropy as Catalysts\nUsing concessional capital and early-stage risk absorption to crowd in private investment for STI infrastructure.\nMDBs’ Catalytic Role and Capital Leverage\nHow MDBs can partner with banks and investors to deploy large-scale STI funds through balance sheet optimisation and innovative fund structures.\nPrivate Credit and Significant Risk Transfer (SRT)\nFreeing up capital and de-risking for long-term STI investment through private credit strategies and synthetic securitisation.\nCarbon Finance for Science Infrastructure\nTurning natural capital into investable revenue streams using AI-powered MRV and carbon-backed securities.\n\n \nConfirmed Speakers\n\nCo-Chair: Declan Kirrane\nChair and Managing Director, United Nations General Assembly (UNAG80) Science Summit; Managing Director, Africa-Europe Science Collaboration Platform (AERAP), Managing Director, ISC\nCo-Chair: Dr Raúl C. Rosales\nSenior Executive Fellow, Imperial College Business School\nAna Palacio\nFormer Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain and Former Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank Group. Visiting Professor at Georgetown University\nManfred Schepers\nChief Executive Officer, ILX Fund\nManuel Fuertes\nChief Executive Officer, Kiatt Group\nMatt Robinson\n Head of Private Capital Mobilisation, British International Investment\nNasser Alkahtani\nExecutive Director, The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)\nThandi Mgwabi\nGroup Executive: Business Advancement, National Research Foundation of South Africa\nKomal Sahu\nChief of Sustainable Finance, AVPN\nFrancis Malige\nManaging Director, Head of Financial Institutions Business Group at EBRD\n \nAgenda\n14:30 – 14:45                 Opening Remarks \nChair: Declan Kirrane, Chair and Managing Director,  Science Summit; Managing Director, Africa-Europe Science Collaboration Platform (AERAP), Managing Director, ISC\nCo-Chair: Dr Raúl C. Rosales Senior Executive Fellow, Imperial College Business School\nC0-Chair Eudy Mbuza, Department of Science, Technology, Innovation, Senior Science and Innovation Representative, Brussels \nAna Palacio Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain and Former Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the World Bank Group. Visiting Professor at Georgetown University\nDr Michael Makanga, Executive Director, Global Health EDCTP3 EU Joint Undertaking\n \n14:45 – 15:10                  Reimagining Capital for Global Challenges \nManfred Schepers Chief Executive Officer, ILX Fund\nManuel Fuertes Chief Executive Officer, Kiatt Group\nMatt Robinson  Head of Private Capital Mobilisation, British International Investment\nNasser Alkahtani, Executive Director, The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)\n \n15:10 – 15:25                  Policy and Regulatory Innovation and Financial Instruments \nNtobeko Ntusi, President and CEO, Medical Research Council, South Africa\nKomal Sahu, Chief of Sustainable Finance, AVPN\nFrancis Malige, Managing Director, Head of Financial Institutions Business Group at EBRD\n \n15:25 – 15:40                 A Global South Perspective \nRobert Shaku, CFO, Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, South Africa\nBishen Singh, CFO: National Research Foundation, South Africa \nIsmail Abdoola, CFO and acting CEO, Technology Innovation Agency, South Africa\n \n15:40 – 16:10                 Discussants \nAdrià Junyent-Ferré, Associate Professor in Power Electronics, Imperial College, London\nFaith Osier Chair in Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, Imperial College, London\nMarisa Miraldo Professor of Health Economics, Imperial College, London\nKurt Zatloukal Medical University, Graz, Austria\n \n16:10 – 16:25                 Q&A\n \n16:25 – 16:30                 Closing Reflections and Next Steps \nThandi Mgwabi Group Executive: Business Development, National Research Foundation of South Africa\nChair: Declan Kirrane, Chair and Managing Director, Science Summit; Managing Director, Africa-Europe Science Collaboration Platform (AERAP), Managing Director, ISC\nCo-Chair: Dr Raúl C. Rosales Senior Executive Fellow, Imperial College Business School\nC0-Chair Eudy Mbuza, Department of Science, Technology, Innovation, Senior Science and Innovation Representative, Brussels \n \nRegistration\nPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.I will attendIn personVirtuallyName *FirstLastEmail *LinkedIn Organisation  *Organisation Web / URL *Country      *- Please select -AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBolivia (Plurinational State of)Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCanadaCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo (Democratic Republic of the)Cook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatini (Kingdom of)EthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran (Islamic Republic of)IraqIreland (Republic of)Isle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea (Democratic People's Republic of)Korea (Republic of)KosovoKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia (Federated States of)Moldova (Republic of)MonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth Macedonia (Republic of)Northern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine (State of)PanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint Maarten (Dutch part)SlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania (United Republic of)ThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican City StateVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)VietnamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweYour interest in participating at this eventPlease let us know your primary focus for attending this event.GDPR Agreement *I agree with the terms and conditions of the Data Regulation Policy (below) Submit Registration   \n \n \nObjectives and Expected Outcomes\n\nDeliver a concise, actionable set of policy recommendations for FfD4 negotiators on integrating STI into development finance strategies.\nLaunch a group toward a multi-stakeholder initiative on STI finance, to be announced at the 2026 UN Pact for the Future Summit.\nServe as a platform to catalyse partnerships between financial institutions, innovation agencies, DFIs, MDBs and governments.\nMobilise capital markets through market-based mechanisms to deliver long-term value, resilience, and inclusive growth.\nReposition STI investments as a fundamental of development finance in the Global South\n\n \nFollow-Up\nOutcomes from this session will be presented to EU institutions in Brussels on 14 October 2025 as part of ongoing advocacy to align UN, EU, and global STI financing strategies. Further presentations are expected at the UN Summit of the Future and to relevant legislative bodies, including the U.S. House of Representatives, in early 2026.\n \n
URL:https://sciencesummitnyc.org/events/capital-markets/
ORGANIZER;CN=Science Summit:MAILTO:info@sciencesummitnyc.org
CATEGORIES:Development,Finance
LOCATION:San Fernando 2, Seville, Spain, 41004
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://sciencesummitnyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AdobeStock_capital-market-low-res-3-scaled.jpg
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