The inaugural ceremony of the Technology Fair of the Future, organized jointly by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in cooperation with the Brazilian hosts, will take place as part of UNCTAD XI at the Anhembi Exhibition Centre in São Paulo at 12:00 noon today. Approximately 100 technology firms and institutions, mainly from developing countries, representing such sectors as energy, biotechnology and information and communication technologies, will participate. In addition to Brazil, the countries represented by the exhibitors are Argentina, Austria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Romania, the Russian Federation, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and the United States. 

The ceremony will be opened jointly by Rubens Ricupero, Secretary-General of UNCTAD, and Carlos Magariños, Director-General of UNIDO. The host country, Brazil, will be represented at the ceremony by Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. A number of other high-level officials and government representatives will also attend.

The fair, which continues through 18 June, will provide a unique opportunity for participating firms and institutions to present new ideas, designs and concepts. It will also offer a space for participants to share information on trends and opportunities in technology-based business and to build relationships and networks with top leaders from industry, finance, government and international organizations.

In addition to allowing participants to exhibit products at the stands or virtually, making use of the latest multimedia resources, the fair will offer a forum to debate issues related to technology. The debates will cover issues of critical importance to industrial and technological development and international trade, such as the new productive arrangements and global value chains, technological demands, science and technology parks, and the future market for innovative enterprises from developing countries. The forum has been divided into four panels: Global Value Chains and Networks: Opportunities and Challenges; Technological Trends – Foresight Results; Technological Parks: Their Future in Developing Countries; and The Future of Innovative Enterprises: Local or Global Markets.