The conference concludes with a call to meet the rising demand for sustainable and responsible investment amid technological advances and evolving geopolitical dynamics.
© CIFIT | Deputy Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno addresses the 25th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) in the city of Xiamen on 8 September.
The Future Investment Conference (FIC) 2025 convened on 7-8 September in Xiamen, China, with a focus on navigating the shifts in global investment dynamics and the restructuring of value chains.
Hosted by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with the annual China International Fair for Investment and Trade, the FIC brought together investors, policymakers and innovators to supercharge international investment in a time of turbulence and transformation.
“Investment is much more than just capital flows. It is about resilience, sustainability and inclusion,” said Deputy Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno of UN Trade and Development.
“The Future Investment Conference provides a platform for practical cooperation – whether on de-risking investments in emerging markets, financing clean energy, or governing artificial intelligence.”
The conference came at a challenging time for international investment, particularly concerning sectors such as renewable energy and infrastructure that are crucial to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Currently, developing countries face an annual financing gap of more than $4 trillion for sustainable development, according to the latest World Investment Report.
New frontiers for investment
Technological disruption, shifting value chains and sustainability imperatives are reshaping investment. This year’s conference therefore seeks to highlight both the risks and new possibilities for long-term capital in energy, artificial intelligence and health.
Encouragingly, investors are helping to boost new industries around green technologies such as solar, wind, storage and smart grids, with opportunities for developing countries to leapfrog to cleaner and more resilient growth models.
Meanwhile, innovators, businesses public and private investors can further scale up solutions to not only shape the future of industry but also a greener and more inclusive tomorrow.
Additionally, a closed-door roundtable of sovereign wealth funds explored how long-term investors can balance intergenerational wealth preservation with active investment in addressing climate challenges, while catalyzing the energy transition in emerging markets.
“Investing in the future means going beyond cycles and fluctuations to allocate capital towards humanity’s shared future,” says Nan Li Collins, director of investment and enterprise at UN Trade and Development, and lead coordinator of the conference.
“It involves how technological revolutions shape society, and how we build a new growth model that emphasizes resilience and inclusivity in an era marked by both division and connection.”
Road to UNCTAD16
The FIC 2025 featured strong support for shoring up investments in developing countries, through dedicated investment showcases and matchmaking sessions linking project opportunities with global investors.
“The FIC gives developing countries a voice and a platform. By bringing their projects and priorities directly to investors, it helps turn global capital into real drivers of sustainable development,” said Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce of China.
The discussions and partnerships in Xiamen will help inform deliberations at the upcoming 16th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD16) and the World Investment Forum 2026, and rally support for investing in shared prosperity.