The aim of the high-level symposium was to inform more than 125 financiers and policy makers, improve knowledge and expertise, build bridges strengthening institutional collaboration and move towards creating a dynamic marketplace for mobilising capital. The symposium shared approaches to better understand and address current challenges, presented case studies, and offered opportunities to discuss practical and pragmatic ways to move forward. It was unique in its quest to bring together experts from 30 countries.

The symposium was hosted by the Institute for Trade and Innovation (IfTI) at Offenburg University in the German Black Forest. IfTI is a leading research institute leveraging strategic policy initiatives and practitioner-led research associated with trade, innovation and economic development. The Global Symposium tackled the issue of modernising the trade and development finance landscape to serve future goals and was co-hosted by EKF Denmark’s Export Credit Agency, DEG Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), a Member of the Islamic Development Bank Group.

In partnership with the Berne Union, we brought together government officials and private sector representatives, as well as senior staff from innovation agencies, multilateral development banks, bilateral development finance institutions and export credit agencies to discuss prospects of innovation, export credit and development finance.