At the 2024 World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings, Austria and the World Bank signed a partnership agreement to establish a Vienna Development Knowledge Center designed to open doors of expertise and unlock the full potential of knowledge to increase development impact.
The Center elevates the long-standing partnership between Austria and the World Bank Group by hosting various knowledge activities and engagements, such as workshops, trainings, or deep dives, underpinned by the World Bank Group’s global and regional expertise, aimed at encouraging discussion, sharing new ideas, and facilitating co-learning.
The Center also supports field visits, and experience-sharing with Austrian institutions, private sector entities, and civil society organizations.
Key design features and principles of the Center include:
Target Audience. The Center primarily serves public and private sector representatives from throughout the Europe and Central Asia region. When relevant and feasible, World Bank client countries from other regions are also invited to broaden the sharing of development experiences.
Thematic Focus. While multi-disciplinary in nature, the Center concentrates on a few thematic areas most pertinent to countries in Europe and Central Asia like economic governance or climate resilience and adaptation.
Activity Format. The Center offers a variety of engagement formats, including technical deep-dive workshops, field visits, product-specific labs, and collaborative learning sessions.
Expertise. The Center leverages the expertise of the World Bank Group staff while systematically mobilizing global knowledge and linking with the World Bank Group Academy. Knowledge work of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) is included in relevant knowledge activities.
Partnership Synergies. The Center actively taps into the resources and knowledge of the World Bank Group partners, particularly the European Commission and other European institutions.
