The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will announce the winners of the first WIPO City of Innovation award on October 12, 2026, at a ceremony from 17:15 to 18:00 CEST at WIPO headquarters in Geneva.
Bringing together mayors, city leaders, innovation policymakers and the international intellectual property (IP) community, the ceremony will celebrate the role of cities in fostering innovation and creativity, and reveal which of the 15 finalist cities will receive the inaugural award for their forward-looking visions and pledges.
The event will start with the inauguration speech of WIPO Director General Daren Tang. After welcoming the international jury, each winning city will take the stage to provide remarks on their vision and pledges.
The event will take place on the margins of the Sixth UN Forum of Mayors, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
The ceremony will be streamed live via WIPO webcast, Zoom and UN Web TV, with no prior registration required. The working language will be English, with simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish.