As part of preparations for the 11th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum), the United Nations launched a Call for Innovations for the SDGs to identify breakthrough and scalable solutions that can help accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda, particularly in low-resource settings. Out of over 900 submissions received from around the world, including a strong number from Africa, 10 featured innovations were selected and invited to attend the STI Forum to showcase their solutions.
The Global Call for Innovations initiative is co-convened by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the Major Group for Children and Youth, Engineering for Change, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Innovation Showcase (ISHOW).
The featured innovators’ participation in the formal STI Forum programme, including their 90-second presentations, will strengthen their ability to communicate their innovations clearly and link them to the SDGs under review. This matchmaking session will complement that experience through a short practical orientation on SDG framing, communications and networking, followed by structured bilateral exchanges with potential partners, funders and technical experts.
The session will begin with a brief 5-minute opening, followed by 25-minute session on key reflections and practical orientation, including remarks from representatives of the 10-Member Group, focused on practical strategies for partnership-building and linking innovations to SDG implementation. The remainder of the session (approximately 40 minutes) will be dedicated to structured bilateral exchanges.
The event is open to all participants of the STI Forum.
