Trade Mission to Vienna-based International Organisations

Brussels-based companies are invited to save the date for an upcoming trade mission to Vienna, which will focus on business opportunities with international organisations that have their (regional) HQ there.

The trade mission is aimed at companies seeking to make a positive impact through their solutions while maintaining a strong business approach. The mission will facilitate structured interactions with major development partners, facilitate networking with key stakeholders and provide practical insight into how these organisations operate, how they procure goods and services, and where opportunities for future collaboration or project participation lie.

Whether your company is experienced in international markets or looking to expand its reach, this mission serves as an invaluable platform to connect with decision-makers, procurement specialists, and project leaders within key UN agencies.

Why Vienna?

Vienna is one of the four main United Nations headquarters, alongside New York, Geneva and Nairobi. The Vienna International Centre (VIC) is home to around 20 UN organisations and entities. It is therefore a major hub for international diplomacy, technical cooperation and multilateral operations, with thousands of staff and a constant flow of conferences, expert meetings and procurement activity. This makes Vienna a particularly valuable entry point for companies looking to access the UN ecosystem and its operational needs.

Key Business Segments

The trade mission will focus on, but is not limited to, the following sectors where Belgian companies can offer significant added value:

• Space & geospatial technologies as enablers of industrial development, climate action, resource efficiency, agribusiness, supply chain traceability, and infrastructure planning.
• ICT/data/AI/digitalisation technologies as a catalyst for industrial development, SME competitiveness, sustainable manufacturing, climate transition, supply-chain resilience, and workforce development.
• Health-related technologies as a driver for industrial development, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical product quality and safety, resilient health supply chains, biotechnology innovation, and societal resilience.
• Circular, green and clean technologies spearheading the way in the industrial development of the future, decarbonisation, local value chains, the optimal use of natural resources and making a net-positive contribution to the SDGs.

As the actual opportunity landscape is broader than these priority sectors, the mission will also be relevant for companies offering engineering services, industrial and environmental solutions, testing and measurement systems, monitoring systems, consultancy, training, project support, secure infrastructure and technical equipment.

The mission is therefore intended for companies that want to explore not only procurement opportunities and longer-term cooperation, visibility and market intelligence within the ecosystem of international organisations.

Confirmed UN Organisations

The programme is still being finalised, so the precise format, meeting agenda and broader set of participating international organisations are still subject to change. A further update with more detailed information will be shared shortly.

At this stage, the organisations confirmed in the draft programme are UNIDO and CTBTO.

• United Nations Industrial Development Organization [UNIDO]

UNIDO is the UN agency dedicated to inclusive and sustainable industrial development. The organisation procures goods and services both for the implementation of its technical cooperation programmes worldwide (TC Procurement), as well as for the operation of its headquarters and facilities in Vienna (non-TC Procurement).

UNIDO’s procurement profile is broad and includes technical services, studies, advisory assignments, training, industrial equipment, energy and environmental solutions, and digital tools.

This makes UNIDO especially relevant for companies active in areas such as cleantech, the circular economy, the digitalization of industry, AI/data solutions, energy efficiency, technical training, monitoring and evaluation, consultancy and specialised equipment.

• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization [CTBTO]

The CTBTO is responsible for building and operating the global verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Its work relies on a sophisticated global network of seismic, hydroacoustic, infrasound and radionuclide monitoring stations, supported by advanced communication, data processing and scientific infrastructure.

The CTBTO spends approximately 60-70 million USD on procurement and tendering each year, covering a wide range of goods and services for its operations and technical mandate. CTBTO’s highly specialised and technical mandate of CTBTO makes it particularly relevant for companies with expertise in sensors, scientific and laboratory instrumentation, secure communications, software, data analytics, AI, signal processing, cybersecurity, calibration services and specialised technical training.

In parallel with our trade mission, the CTBTO will also be hosting a supplier event specifically focused on hydroacoustics: Deepwave 2026. We will assess the involvement of participating companies with Deepwave 2026 on a case-by-case basis.

Why participate?

Taking part in this trade mission will enable you to:

• Gain a clear understanding of how to become a UN supplier
• Learn how the procurement rules and tendering procedures of several UN agencies work
• Discover forthcoming market opportunities across a wide range of domains
• Gain an insight into long-term projects and programmes
• Network directly with UN procurement specialists, as well as development and project experts
• Establish, renew and strengthen business relationships with key stakeholders within the UN ecosystems
• Explore concrete business opportunities
• Obtain and build visibility among key institutions and strengthen your business positioning by leveraging Belgium’s reputation for excellence in innovation, sustainability and impact-driven solutions.

Doing business with very large and complex international organisations, such as UN agencies, requires time, effort, patience and persistence. This mission is therefore not aimed at companies looking for quick wins and short-term profits, but for those that strive to build long-term relationships and pursue impact-driven business opportunities, and which are determined to succeed.