The Investindustrial Foundation, has joined the Transition Investment Lab (TIL) at NYU Stern School of Business at NYU Abu Dhabi, as a Lead Partner, alongside founding partners MEASA Partners and Mubadala. The partnership reinforces a shared commitment to advancing transition investment across emerging and frontier markets in the Middle East, Africa and Southern Asia.
Announced during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the collaboration reflects the growing role of the region in shaping practical approaches to sustainable and transition finance, grounded in real economy investments and measurable value accretive impact.
The partnership was signed at NYU Abu Dhabi between Emanuele C. Bonomi, Chairman of the Investindustrial Foundation, and Fabio Piano, Interim Vice Chancellor, NYU Abu Dhabi
Through its contribution, the Investindustrial Foundation will support TIL’s work across three core research programs: Institutional Investment and Sustainable Development; Sustainable Investment and Emerging Private Markets; and Impact Measurement Frameworks and Analytics. Together, these programs strengthen TIL's mission to build a knowledge center that delivers robust, actionable research while raising awareness of how transition investment can address pressing economic, societal, and environmental challenges.
In the first instance, the collaboration with TIL will be on a groundbreaking multi-year project on Food Security, which aims to uncover significant opportunities for investors, business, and governmental stakeholders to address food security challenges in the MENA region. By analyzing prior interventions and granular international data on food security, TIL aims to identify high-impact areas such as food logistics, affordable farm inputs, and food safety, where investment can deliver measurable financial returns, economic security and resilience, and societal benefits.
The Signature Impact Framework developed by TIL enables investors to integrate robust impact metrics into deal origination and portfolio management, ensuring financial performance aligns with positive outcomes.
“Our longstanding partnership with NYU, and now with the Transition Investment Lab at NYU Abu Dhabi exemplifies Investindustrial’s commitment to advancing sustainable business practices to create long-term value on a global scale. Our strategic presence in Abu Dhabi not only strengthens our collaboration with world-class academic partners but also enables us to invest in the region’s dynamic growth and innovation. Together, we are driving measurable socio-economic and environmental impact, combining rigorous research, local insight, and capital to create lasting value for communities and investors across the Middle East and beyond,” says Andrea C. Bonomi, Founder and Chairman of the Investindustrial Advisory Board, an alumnus and Trustee of NYU.
The Foundation’s support for the Transition Investment Lab reflects its long-term commitment to sustainable finance, environmental stewardship, and lasting societal value, aligned with the Investindustrial Foundation’s focus on education, sustainability, and inclusive economic development.
The partnership also builds on the Investindustrial Foundation’s longstanding relationship with NYU and NYU Stern, which began over a decade ago in New York, underscoring a shared commitment to advancing sustainable business practices. With Investindustrial Foundation, a Founding Partner of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, Investindustrial has played a pivotal role in supporting the development of methodologies and frameworks for measuring and monetizing sustainability outcomes in business and private equity investments, with this collaboration driving innovation in impact assessment and value creation.
The partnership will support expanded research, forums, and collaboration with global and regional investors and institutions committed to building credible transition pathways across key sectors. It is further reinforced by Investindustrial’s growing engagement in Abu Dhabi and the wider Middle East region, including the Firm’s recent signing of the ADGM Sustainable Finance Pledge, reinforcing its dedication to responsible investment practices and transparency.