Event Program
Registration and Welcome Coffee
Registration will also be available the day before.
- 25th March
- 08:00 > 09:00
Security Briefing
Mandatory security briefing for all participants.
- 25th March
- 08:40 > 08:55
Opening Ceremony
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
Welcome addresses by:
- Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
- H.E. Berris Ekinci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Türkiye
Opening performance by Pacifico
Opening panel with:
- Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
- Margaret Levi, Professor at Stanford University
- Nanjira Sambuli, Policy and Technology Strategist and Advisor
- Celina Pereira, Deputy Secretary for State Transformation at the Brazilian Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services
Moderator: Geoff Mulgan, co-founder of The Institutional Architecture Lab
- 25th March
- 09:00 > 11:00
Mainstage Conversation: Transversal Issues
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
New and modernized institutions to address the transversality and interwoven nature of the pressures that institutions face.
Speakers:
- Diego Golombek, Professor and Researcher, Universidad de San Andres
- César Buenadicha, Head ai Ecosystem Building and Acceleration Division at BID Lab
- Keita Nishiyama, Visiting Professor at Institute of Future Initiatives of the University of Tokyo
Moderator: Ana Maria Tribin Uribe, Senior Economist at the World Bank
- 25th March
- 11:30 > 13:00
Lunch
During your lunch break, you will have the opportunity to join Lunch Chats lead by innovators and UNDP country offices.
More info below.
- 25th March
- 13:00 > 14:30
Lunch Chat - Augmented Intelligence: Early Warnings & Decision-Making in Collapsed Institutions
Meeting Room: Lausanne
This lunch conversation will delve into the transformative potential of augmented intelligence in advancing early warning mechanisms and enhancing decision-making processes within collapsed institutional contexts. Drawing on recent research from the UNDP Afghanistan Country office and the sub-region that predicts multidimensional vulnerability levels through data-driven models, the session will highlight how integrating computational analytics with human judgment can generate actionable insights in volatile environments. Participants – including policymakers, security experts, and academic researchers – will discuss innovative frameworks that not only anticipate emerging crises but also support the development of resilient, proactive strategies for managing extreme instability.
Presenters:
- Martin Szigeti, Data Science Research Analyst – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing, UNDP Istanbul
- Damla Aras – Analyst/Political Affairs Officer, UNAMA
- Timothy Westlake – Consultant, UNDP Afghanistan; Tilburg University; Ministry of Defence, Netherlands
- Şebnem Şahin, RBEC Chief Economist, UNDP
Discussants:
- Ozlem Inanc Senses – Freelance Researcher, Academic
- Abdullah Altun – Associate Professor, Gebze Teknik University
- 25th March
- 13:30 > 14:15
Lunch Chat - Co-Designing C3 Labs: Shaping a Collaborative Model
Meeting Room: Montreux
This session will serve as a crowdsourced co-design workshop for C3 Labs, an initiative funded by the GEF Innovation Window and led by UNDP, FAO, UNEP, and Wageningen University. The Labs, set to launch in Kenya and Thailand, aim to support cross-sector collaboration on food, biodiversity, and climate challenges. Participants will contribute insights on the design of the labs, fellowship structure, and systems finance approach, helping to refine the six-month co-design process ahead of the official launch. The session will ensure alignment with existing initiatives and explore how to translate theories of collaboration and systems transformation into practice.
A conversation with:
- Courtney Lawrence, UNDP FACS
- Charles O’Malley, UNDP FACS
- 25th March
- 13:30 > 14:15
Lunch Chat - Strategies for EU-UN Collaboration in Digital
Meeting Room: Bern
Join this lunch chat hosted by UNDP Bosnia Herzegovina to explore how strategic portfolio design can position digital development higher on the UN and UNDP agenda. Exchange insights, compare strategic approaches, and discuss how to mobilize partnerships for systemic and inclusive digital transformation. UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina will present its approach to digital portfolio design as part of the EU-UN strategic collaboration process.
A conversation with: Kemal Bajramovic, Head of Experimentation, UNDP Bosnia Herzegovina
- 25th March
- 13:30 > 14:15
Mainstage Conversation: Technology, Power and Participation
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
Technology can unite or divide us, depending on how we shape our institutions.
Speakers:
- Yanick Kemayou, Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer, Kabakoo Academies
- Vukosi Marivate, Professor and Chair of Data Science University of Pretoria, co-founder of Lelapa AI
- Adriana Groh, CEO of German Sovereign Tech Agency
- Hasan Hilmi Akın, Deputy General Director, Ministry of Industry and Technology, Republic of Turkiye
- Kirikowhai Mikaere, Lead Technical Advisor Aotearoa New Zealand National Iwi (Tribal) Chairs Forum, Maori Data Governance
Moderator: Fabro Steibel, Institute of Technology and Society Rio de Janeiro (ITS)
- 25th March
- 14:30 > 16:00
Parallel Interactive Workshops
Interactive Workshop: Innovation Labs in Public Sector and Transversal Issues
Meeting Room: Zurich
This session looks at how national and city governments are adopting new policy-making approaches and using newly established labs to drive institutional change. While home to many novel institutional approaches and solutions from Aadhar in India to the Ministry of Loneliness in Japan, governments in Asia are looking into ways to further evolve and re-imagine their public institutions.
Facilitator:
- Alex Oprunenco, UNDP
With the participation of:
- Suriyon Thunkijjanukij, Senior Advisor on Competitiveness Development and Public Policy Innovation, Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), Royal Thai Government
- Sonam Tobgye, Director, Office of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan
- Mohammad Azaz, Administrator, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Bangladesh
- Marta Junque, Founder and Director, Time Use Initiative
- 25th March
- 16:30 > 18:00
Interactive Workshop: Institutions in the Age of AI Agents
Meeting Room: Montreux
This hands-on session explores how autonomous AI agents could transform organizational structures and governance. Participants will experience a live demonstration of current agentic AI capabilities, from autonomous task completion to multi-agent collaboration. Together, will then envision and map out potential future institutions – from organizational structures with AI middle management to governmental bodies with automated decision systems.
Facilitators:
- Andreas Pawelke, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub
- levgen Kylymnyk, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub
- Aditi Soni, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub
- Vid Stimac, UNDP Serbia
- 25th March
- 16:30 > 18:00
Interactive Workshop: Blockchain Based Digital Payments
Meeting Room: Lausanne
Digital payments are no longer just an emerging trend – they’re reshaping global finance at an unprecedented pace. With nearly one billion digital wallets in use worldwide and stablecoin transactions surpassing $1 trillion per month, the impact on public institutions, remittances, domestic payment systems, and even tokenized assets like bonds and carbon credits is undeniable. In this highly interactive session, co-hosted with the Stellar Development Foundation, we move beyond theory into real-world application. Participants will not only explore how blockchain-based digital payments are disrupting traditional banking systems but also experience them firsthand. From live, frictionless transactions to expert-led discussions on what this evolution means for your institution, this is your chance to demystify digital finance and uncover tangible opportunities for your organization.
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Facilitators:
- Anna Whitson-DIaz, Stellar Development Foundation
- Shyam Patel, Stellar Development Foundation
- Tori Samples, Stellar Development Foundation
- Robert Pasicko, UNDP
- 25th March
- 16:30 > 18:00
Interactive Workshop: Competing on the rate of development intelligence in the uncertain world
Meeting Room: Bern
This session explores a strategic framework for integrating multiple perspectives to navigate complex challenges. Participants will engage with methodologies that help policymakers, organizations, and leaders synthesize diverse intelligence sources, challenge assumptions, and make adaptive decisions. The discussion will focus on enhancing foresight and resilience, with applications in areas such as geopolitical shifts, democratic resilience, and innovation governance.
Facilitators:
- Bridi Rice, CEO of the Development Intelligence Lab
- Milica Begovic, Head of the Strategic Innovation Unit at UNDP
- 25th March
- 16:30 > 18:00
Interactive Workshop: Reimagining shapes & dynamics of public institutions
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
This workshop is designed to stretch our collective imagination about institutional architecture. Using guiding questions and creative prompts from the Playbook for Institutional Innovation, we will explore and co-create unconventional organizational forms and dynamics to address public challenges. Drawing on metaphors and analogies, we will examine their implications for design and operation, while collectively expanding the possibilities for building and reforming institutions
Facilitators:
- Geoff Mulgan, The Institutional Architecture Lab
- Caio Werneck, The Institutional Architecture Lab
- Anir Chowdhury, The Institutional Architecture Lab
- 25th March
- 16:30 > 18:00
Reimagining the Future: A Conversation with Kim Stanley Robinson
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
Keynote speech on the crisis of imagination followed by a conversation with Jessica Seddon and the sci-fi writer Kim Stanley Robinson
- 25th March
- 18:30 > 19:30
Evening Reception
- 25th March
- 19:30 > 21:30
Challenge conversation
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
The conversation will reflect on some of the challenges and apparent contradictions around institutional innovation – and offer tangible examples of ways to navigate them. It will set the scene for the second day’s discussion by highlighting some of the opportunities for collective learning across the different thematic areas at IID.
Jessica Seddon, The Institutional Architecture Lab in conversation with:
- Edgar Pieterse, Director, African Centre for Cities
- Bridi Rice, CEO of the Development Intelligence Lab
- 26th March
- 09:15 > 10:00
Mainstage Conversation: Alternative Economic and Finance Models
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
This session will delve into innovative economic and finance models, exploring how alternative approaches can empower communities and reshape systems to promote sustainability, equity, and resilience.
Speakers:
- Eduard Muller, President and Rector of the University for International Cooperation, Leader of Regenerate Costa Rica initiative
- Giacomo Pinaffo, Secretary General, Fonzadione MeSSiNA
- Natalia Arjomand, Senior Director, SecondMuse Capital
- Miles Khubeka, Wakanda Food Accelerator
Moderator: Alberto Cottica, R&D Specialist at UNDP Accelerator Labs
- 26th March
- 10:00 > 11:30
Parallel Interactive Workshops
Interactive Workshop: Science Fiction Economics
Meeting Room: Bern
A convergence of bold thinkers and practitioners interested in imagining alternative future economies. Designed to challenge conventional perspectives, this workshop applies science fiction as a lens to rethink economic systems and envision transformative possibilities.
Facilitators:
- Kate Beecroft, Science Fiction Economics Network
- Alberto Cottica, UNDP Accelerator Labs
- Giacomo Pinaffo, Secretary General, Fonzadione MeSSiNA
- Özgür Can Özüdoğru, Scientist and social entrepreneur
- 26th March
- 12:00 > 13:30
Interactive Workshop: Rethinking Finance for Systemic Impact
Meeting Room: Lausanne
The global financial system is abundant in capital – over $460 trillion in global wealth exists – yet financial flows continue to fuel short-termism and siloed interventions. To address climate change, inequality, and structural fragility, we must rethink how finance is structured, deployed, and governed. This discussion will challenge the traditional investment logic and explore how finance can become a force for transformation, rather than just a tool for gap-filling.
Facilitators:
- Ida Uusikyla, UNDP Strategic Innovation Unit
- Can Atacik, UNDP
Speakers:
- Natalia Arjomand, Senior Director, SecondMuse Capital
- Nonde Sichilima, Director, Market Supervision and Development, Securities and Exchange Commission of Zambia (SEC)
- Leena Al Olaimy, Founder and CEO, Symbaiosys
- 26th March
- 12:00 > 13:30
Interactive Workshop: Rethinking AI: Indigenous Knowledge, Local Models, and Non-Extractive Approaches
Meeting Room: Montreux
Artificial intelligence continues to be shaped by Western-centric epistemologies, reinforcing dominant cultural narratives while sidelining diverse knowledge systems. This open conversation, facilitated by Siddhi Gupta, will bring together experts working on alternative AI models—ones that integrate indigenous knowledge, community-driven data governance, and locally trained LLMs. The session will explore how AI can be reimagined as a pluralistic, non-extractive tool that respects and amplifies cultural diversity rather than homogenizing intelligence.
Facilitators:
- Siddhi Gupta, Design Director, Inclusive AI Lab
Speakers:
- Nanjira Sambuli, Policy and Technology Strategist and Advisor
- Kirikowhai Mikaere, Lead Technical Advisor Aotearoa New Zealand National Iwi (Tribal) Chairs Forum, Maori Data Governance
- Yanick Kemayou, Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer, Kabakoo Academies
- Vukosi Marivate, Professor and Chair of Data Science University of Pretoria, co-founder of Lelapa AI
- Etienne Turpin, Founder, Anexact Office
- 26th March
- 12:00 > 13:30
Interactive Workshop: From Silos to Systems, How Portofolio-based Approaches are Reshaping Local Governance
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
This dynamic session explores how portfolio-oriented approaches are transforming traditional governance models in cities across Eastern Partnership countries and beyond. Based on real experiences from mayors and city leaders, participants will examine how systems thinking and portfolio management are creating new patterns of citizen engagement and multi-stakeholder collaboration. The session will demonstrate how local-level institutions can move from siloed interventions to connected initiatives that address complex urban challenges.
Facilitators:
- Yaera Chung, UNDP
- Elina Jarvela, UNDP
- Shreya Krishnan, UNDP
- Rozita Singh, UNDP
Speakers:
- Simon Hoher, Dark Matter Labs
- Martin Vavrek, City of Bratislava
- Lars Thuesen, Welfare Improvement Network
- 26th March
- 12:00 > 13:30
Interactive Workshop: Should public innovation aim to be irreversible?
Meeting Room: Zurich
How do you counter institutional shortermism? Given the current headlines, it might seem a paradoxical time to ask the question – and unpack its implication for institutional architecture. In this workshop, participants will reflect on the concept of irreversibility: is it a good thing? and, if so, what are the tactics to consider to increase the chances of an initiative being “irreversible”? The workshop will draw on the irreversibility framework developed by the INA Digital EDU team in the Indonesian Ministry of Education as well as insights derived from interviews with practitioners whose initiatives survived one or many changes in government administrations.
Facilitators:
- Giulio Quaggiotto, Innovation Specialist
- Kautsar Anggakara, INA Digital EDU
- 26th March
- 12:00 > 13:30
Lunch
During your lunch break, you will have the opportunity to join Lunch Chats lead by innovators and UNDP country offices.
More info below.
- 26th March
- 13:30 > 15:00
Lunch Chat: Digital Trust for Economic Growth Amid Uncertainty - The Arab Region
Meeting Room: Lausanne
In the Arab States, digital transformation is accelerating, yet challenges like uneven access and regulatory gaps persist. To tackle these, UNDP Iraq and partners are hosting the Digital Trust & Growth Summit in Erbil (May 12-14, 2025). Ahead of the summit, Istanbul Innovation Days will explore a key question: How can we build digital trust and integrity in an uncertain world?
A conversation with:
- Serdar Turan, Editor-in-Chief, Harvard Business Review Turkiye
- Dina Akylbekova, Coordination and Partnerships Analyst, Coordination and Partnerships Analyst, UNDP Private Sector in Development Global Hub
- Yama Torabi, Anti-Corruption Manager, UNDP Iraq
Moderator: Tayfun Yilmaz, Partnerships and Communications Specialist, UNDP Iraq
- 26th March
- 13:45 > 14:30
Lunch Chat: Rebuilding Digital Institutions, Block by Block
Meeting Room: Montreux
This interactive session challenges participants to reimagine the institutional foundations of digital transformation. Moving beyond conventional approaches that often reinforce existing power dynamics, we’ll use a modular “building block” methodology to design new institutional models from the ground up.
Facilitators:
- Giulio Quaggiotto, Innovation Specialist
- Andreas Pawelke, UNDP
Speakers:
- Nanjira Sambuli, Policy and Technology Strategist and Advisor
- Kirikowhai Mikaere, Lead Technical Advisor Aotearoa New Zealand National Iwi (Tribal) Chairs Forum, Maori Data Governance
- Vukosi Marivate, Professor and Chair of Data Science University of Pretoria, co-founder of Lelapa AI
- Fabro Steibel, Institute of Technology and Society Rio de Janeiro (ITS)
- Adriana Groh, CEO of German Sovereign Tech Agency
- 26th March
- 13:45 > 14:30
Mainstage Conversation: A New Relationship with Nature
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
This session will explore how institutions contribute to understanding and respecting nature, and how they embed environmental values into systems and practices to foster sustainable relationships.
Speakers:
- Maja Groff, Executive Director and Founder, Climate Governance Commission
- Piotr Domek, Professor, University of Adam Mickiewicz.
- Leena al-Olaimy, Founder and CEO, Symbaiosys
- Erin Ryan, Author and Researcher, Animals in the Room
- Alfredo del Valle, Foundation for Participatory Innovation
Moderator: Jessica Seddon, The Institutional Architecture Lab
- 26th March
- 15:00 > 16:30
Towards Institutions of the Future: Key Takeaways and Insights
Meeting Room: Main Plenary
This closing session with Milica Begovic and Geoff Mulgan will synthesize the key learnings from the event, offering a summary of the most impactful insights and takeaways to guide future actions and reflections.
- 26th March
- 17:00 > 18:00
