Plenary Session 1: Tech diplomacy – Innovation spaces as architects for global collaboration
October 28th, 2026 — 11:00 - 12:05
Description
Technological progress is increasingly moving faster than traditional national governance, creating a growing role for science parks and innovation districts as essential diplomatic infrastructure capable of bridging international divides fostering international cooperation. In line with the conference theme, “Tech for Humanity: Shaping values for a human-centric future”, this opening session considers how organised innovation spaces can move beyond symbolic agreements to build operational trust corridors, shared approaches to data governance and scalable soft-landing pathways.
Four experiences illustrate different ways of approaching cross-border cooperation. Qatar is embedding ethics-by-design and data governance into thematic accelerators across health, water and deep-tech. Brazil’s Innovation Diplomacy Program combines diplomatic networks with science park infrastructure to strengthen regulatory trust between Latin America and Europe. Argentina’s “Innovation Bridges” model uses virtual matchmaking to connect innovation districts across borders, while Türkiye combines pre-financed public support and international business forums to facilitate technology transfer across Central Asia and the Middle East.
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