Within the framework of Codeway Expo 2025, on 15 May 2025 UNIDO ITPO Italy organized and moderated the panel session “Innovation, Business and Youth – Teaming up for Development”.

Featuring the opening remarks of His Excellency the Iraqi Ambassador to Italy Saywan Barzani, the session saw the participation as speakers of representatives from the Iraqi Federation of Industries (IFI), the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability (EIIS), Zest Group, ENI Joule, the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), and Umbria Digital Innovation Hub.

The panel offered a unique opportunity to bring together stakeholders from diverse sectors involved in supporting start-ups and innovation in developing countries. Voices from incubators, investors, academia, technical agencies, institutions, and business networks contributed to a rich exchange of challenges faced, solutions developed, and best practices adopted across different contexts. By drawing on their complementary expertise, the roundtable allowed to foster a deeper understanding of innovation ecosystems and lay the groundwork for impactful, cross-sectoral synergies.