UNCTAD to examine AI and geopolitical shifts in global investment

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is convening an expert meeting to examine how geopolitical tensions, strategic competition, and rising AI-related investment are reshaping international production and global foreign direct investment.

According to the concept note, firms are operating in a more fragmented and politically influenced environment, where cross-border investment decisions are increasingly shaped not only by efficiency and market access, but also by concerns such as supply-chain resilience, technological security, and exposure to changing trade barriers.

The note also links fast-growing investment in AI and digital infrastructure to industrial policy priorities and national security concerns. It says these pressures are contributing to wider shifts in corporate behaviour, including stronger interest in geopolitically aligned and intraregional markets, intensifying competition in strategically important industries, and faster supply-chain restructuring.

UNCTAD says the meeting aims to clarify the scale and nature of these changes, assess what they mean for developing economies, and identify policy considerations for international dialogue. It also points to a more fragmented global investment landscape in which governments are relying more heavily on industrial policy, screening mechanisms, and security-related measures.

Member states are invited to submit short expert papers in advance of the session. The meeting is open to all UNCTAD member States, while international organisations, academia, research institutions, and private-sector participants may attend as observers. The session will be held in person, with a live audio stream available to registered participants.

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