The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will place institutional innovation at the heart of a flagship event - the Istanbul Innovation Days (IID) that kicks off today in Istanbul.
Since its inception in 2015 as a joint endeavor of UNDP with the Government of Türkiye, Istanbul Innovation Days is a 2-day event to explore emerging signals of change, identify new work trajectories and forge new partnerships.
On its tenth anniversary, IID 2025 will convene over 250 global innovators, policymakers, researchers, civil society leaders, and private sector representatives from 78 countries across five continents.
The event aims to reimagine public institutions in an era defined by uncertainty and rapid change. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized in 2023, "We cannot effectively address problems as they are if institutions don't reflect the world as it is." Today's interconnected crises, from climate change and AI governance to widening inequalities, highlight critical gaps within existing institutional frameworks. Recognizing these challenges as an opportunity for transformative innovation, UNDP is committed to facilitate and support creating stronger and more adaptive governance tools and models, capable of navigating complexity.
UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner will open the event alongside H.E. Mrs. Berris Ekinci, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye.
A Platform for Experimentation and Collaboration
Over two days, IID 2025 will combine plenary dialogues, interactive workshops, and collaborative discussions, providing a dynamic platform to explore and prototype innovative institutional approaches. IID 2025 will also serve as a platform to scale UNDP's ongoing work with countries to design, test, and scale institutional innovations that can help societies better navigate complex challenges - from digital transformation to climate adaptation and alternative economic models. Through IID 2025, UNDP continues to foster meaningful innovation, reinforcing institutions' capacity to thrive amid uncertainty and build a resilient future.
