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5 March 2026, 09:00 - 16:00 GMT+03:00
Seminar
What does it take to innovate in some of the world's most challenging contexts? On March 5th, we invite you to join humanitarian innovators, funders and private sector partners to explore that question, and work together on the solutions; from how we innovate for an uncertain future, to how we scale the approaches that are working.
Throughout the day, you’ll gain insight into concrete humanitarian innovations and how you can contribute to scaling their impact. You will have the opportunity to create an idea addressing a real humanitarian challenge, developed alongside other participants, and receive practical insights from experienced practitioners on shaping the future of humanitarian response through innovation, partnership, and systems thinking.
The day brings together a diverse group of actors working across humanitarian response and innovation. Participants include humanitarian practitioners and innovators advancing solutions in crisis contexts; social enterprises and entrepreneurs; donors and funders exploring new financing pathways; and private-sector partners engaging in humanitarian innovation.
The mix is intentionally cross-sector, creating space for meaningful exchange, new connections, and collaboration across traditional boundaries, bringing together people who design, fund, deliver, and scale humanitarian solutions.
Innovating in crises challenges us to take risks, adapt quickly, and develop solutions under extreme conditions. During this event, you will hear from people driving change and delivering impact in new ways, explore practical examples of innovation in action; and work alongside peers from different sectors to tackle live challenges submitted by ongoing projects, not just hypothetical case studies.
9:00-9:15 | Welcome
9:15-9:45 | Opening / Welcome Speech
Therese Uppstrøm Pankratov, Head of the Humanitarian Innovation Programme
Siv Catherine Moe, Norway's Ambassador to Kenya
9:45-10:00 | Keynote Speech – Bernard Chiira, Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust (AT4D) and partner in UNICEF’s project NIKO
10:00-10:15 | SESSION 1: HIP-Heists and Logistics for the day
10:15-11:00 | Panel Discussion:
Bridging Mandates and Markets: Financing Humanitarian Innovation at the Frontier
How do we bridge humanitarian mandates and local market realities at the earliest, riskiest stages of innovation? This panel explores how tailored financial instruments and partnership models are being designed to de-risk and scale humanitarian innovations in refugee contexts - where ticket sizes are small, stakes are high, and conventional investment logic falls short.
Panelists:
11:15-12:15 | Pioneer Spotlight
Real-world solutions from the frontlines of innovation
12:15-13:00 | Panel Discussion:
Becoming Investible: What It Takes to Attract Investment in Fragile Markets
What does it really take for humanitarian innovations to attract serious investment? This panel brings together investors, UN agencies and ecosystem builders to examine investment strategies, risk appetite, and the conditions needed for capital to flow into fragile and displacement-affected contexts.
Panelists
13:00-14:00 | Lunch
14:00–16:00 | Ideation & Problem‑Solving Session \ Facilitated co‑creation with HIP teams and external guests
16:00–16:30 | Closing Inspiration – Emilie Skogvang and Ragnhild Nauste, Innovation Norway’s Humanitarian Innovation Programme
Read more about the Humanitarian Innovation Programme here.
For more information, please contact us:
Companies must adhere to standards for responsible business conduct, including Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria.
Participants are expected to operate in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct. This entails conducting business responsibly, respecting human rights, ensuring decent working conditions, safeguarding environmental considerations, and actively preventing corruption.
Companies must carry out their own due diligence assessments (risk assessments) to identify, prevent, and mitigate potential adverse impacts.


