UN World Food Programme unveils new global Innovation Accelerator office and hosts flagship pitch event - official side event of the Munich Security Conference

The opening featured a powerful statement from WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain, marking the occasion with a commitment to innovation as a key driver in addressing the world's pressing challenges.

"We stand at a pivotal moment in the fight against hunger. By incubating groundbreaking innovations and strengthening strategic partnerships, we can find ways to ensure no one goes to bed hungry, even facing the most daunting circumstances. It's crucial that WFP leads by developing solutions and teams up with our top allies to tackle these pressing challenges head-on."



Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the WFP Innovation Accelerator, expressed his enthusiasm about the opportunities that the new office provides to further expand our innovation work, highlighting its significance as a symbol of hope in times of multiple crises. "Working with WFP colleagues across the world, we’ve been able to bring in cutting-edge startups, innovations and technologies to tackle hunger and other problems in developing countries. Our team of 79 innovators, with 35 different nationalities, 67 percent female including in leadership roles, is currently running a total of 20 programmes exploring technologies like AI and blockchain and building collaborations with world-leading partners. Our new home will allow us to scale our innovation impact further to help people across the world."

The ceremony was attended by guests and key partners, including Bavarian State Minister for European and International Affairs, Eric Beißwenger and Director General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilization, Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Assistance for the German Federal Foreign Office, Deike Potzel.



State Minister Beißwenger highlighted the importance of collaboration to address global challenges. "We are proud that Bavaria has been a location for the United Nations since 2015 when WFP’s Innovation Accelerator was established here. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must give space and support innovative efforts supporting global development. Munich provides the best possible environment for pioneering future technologies supporting WFP's vision of a world without hunger. Together, we can achieve this goal. All the best for the new office opening here in the heart of Munich.”



Potzel highlighted the crucial role of innovation in humanitarian efforts. "I firmly believe that we will be able to overcome some of the most urgent humanitarian challenges through innovation. Innovations can also contribute to closing the ever-increasing funding gap in the humanitarian space and have the power to propel individuals out of precariousness. WFP and others have proven the successful application of new technologies and the scaling of successful solutions to make them available in the field. This is an important contribution to make the humanitarian system more efficient and deliver to the people in need." 



Following the opening, the WFP Innovation Accelerator hosted its annual flagship pitch event themed, "Innovating Ahead of the Curve: Prevention, Resilience, and Humanitarian Assistance." The evening event welcomed teams from around the world, presenting innovative solutions in the areas of humanitarian preparedness and crisis prevention, effective relief assistance and supply chain resilience to potential funders, government representatives and industry leaders.



"Innovation is key to strengthening the resilience of people in need. This is even more important in times of multiple crises. We must make the best possible use of every euro to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable people and thus reduce humanitarian needs in the long term," emphasized Jochen Steinhilber, Director General for Policy Issues at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, another key partner of the WFP Innovation Accelerator.

For more information on its initiatives, visit WFP Innovation.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

The WFP Innovation Accelerator was established in 2015 by the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism (StMELF). Its goal is to source new ideas, sprint pilot projects, and scale high-impact innovations by connecting them with WFP’s global network and field operations in over 120 countries and territories. From its base in Munich, Germany, the WFP Innovation Accelerator runs programmes addressing a wide range of social impact and sustainability issues, including climate change, primary healthcare, gender equality, and emergency response. In 2023, the WFP Innovation Accelerator ran 20 programmes and its portfolio, comprising over 70 active projects and 66 alumni innovation initiatives, reached 60.7 million individuals across 70 countries and territories. Since its launch, innovations supported by the WFP Innovation Accelerator have secured over USD 290 million in grant funding.

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