Developing countries can better shape their economic future by directing investment towards strategic sectors that build productive capacity, expand access to technology and open new markets.
© UNCTAD Photo | Acting Secretary-General Moreno (first row, fifth from left) attended a reception on 7 September hosted by the second Future Investment Conference in Xiamen, China.
When managed strategically, investment can strengthen the ability of countries to make deliberate choices about which industries to develop, which partnerships to pursue and which technologies to access, said Acting Secretary-General Pedro Manuel Moreno at the opening of the second Future Investment Conference in Xiamen, China, on 8 September.
“The more of those decisions that are taken with developing countries in the room, the better the chances that the industries of the future are built there,” said Mr Moreno.
Strategic investment reshaping the global economy
The two-day annual conference comes as shifts in global investment reshape value creation, supply chains and development prospects.
Investment in strategic sectors – including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, critical minerals and clean energy – now accounts for almost half of the value of all new investment projects, up from 16% in 2020.
The shift has important implications for development policy, as UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) noted in its latest World Investment Report.
What investment policy can do
As geopolitics, economic security concerns and changing supply chains reshape international investment, governments are increasingly using industrial policies, subsidies and trade measures to support strategic industries.
The evolving landscape makes it more important for developing countries to strengthen their productive capabilities and position domestic firms to participate in emerging value chains.
This includes creating conditions for investment that brings technology and skills, strengthens local businesses and expands productive capacity.
To drive development outcomes, policy is not simply about mobilizing more capital.
It is about ensuring that investment supports long-term economic transformation and gives developing countries a stronger role in shaping the industries and supply chains of the future.
Road to Doha: from dialogue to action
Organized by UNCTAD in partnership with the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), the conference explores how innovation and sustainability can shape the future under the theme “Global investment for a changing world”.
It examines how international investment can create new opportunities for sustainable development, particularly in developing regions.
The discussions in Xiamen will contribute to the 9th World Investment Forum 2026, to be held in Doha, Qatar, in October, under the theme “Investing in the future”.
The forum will bring together heads of state and government, ministers, global investors, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, business leaders and international organizations to explore how investment can help tackle global challenges and advance sustainable development.
Explore the programme and register to attend on the forum’s official website.