Industry innovation and infrastructure
A functioning and resilient infrastructure is the foundation of every successful community. To meet future challenges, our industries and infrastructure must be upgraded. Promoting innovative sustainable technologies and ensuring equal and universal access to information and financial markets are essential steps.
Goal 9 is founded on the principle that resilient infrastructure, inclusive industrialisation, and technological innovation are essential for sustainable development and economic diversification. It addresses disparities in infrastructure access, industrial capacity, and participation in technological progress.
Key challenges include inadequate transport and digital infrastructure, limited access to finance for small enterprises, fragile supply chains, and the concentration of innovation in a small number of economies. The goal promotes sustainable industrial development that balances productivity with environmental responsibility.
Support comes from institutions such as UN Industrial Development Organization, alongside development banks and innovation networks. Smaller actors like TechSoup help bridge digital divides for civil society and small organisations.
Achievements include expanded mobile connectivity and logistics infrastructure, while challenges persist around digital sovereignty, semiconductor supply chains, and unequal innovation capacity. GSN analyses industry and innovation through sustainability and governance frameworks.
Why startup ecosystems could define the future of the global south
Tackling the ocean plastic crisis through innovation and community action
How climate tech and advanced manufacturing are changing who gets to innovate
Science funding is being recast as a lever of power
Zooniverse, the civic value of people-powered research
From demographic dividend to digital power: AI and the future of work in Africa
Citizen science as a driver of a changing world
Michigan SPARC alliance aims to accelerate supercomputing and AI research
News from the BedrettoLab – earthquakes explicitly welcome
Harnessing evolutionary intelligence: young scientists drive a breakthrough in biogenic materials
Bamboo rising as a sustainable alternative to timber
Snow and avalanche research for the sustainable protection of people and nature
A plastic-eating fungus in the Amazon: promise, hype and hard questions
Concrete on demand: 3D-printed homes are reshaping housebuilding
Global innovation faces slowdown despite wider investment
Corporate leadership in sustainability: Driving global goals forward
Biodegradable robots of the future: Soft tech advancing sustainable environmental solutions
Colorifix’s DNA driven dyeing innovation scales up sustainability
Synthetic biology: Powering the future of sustainability
The case for binding AI regulation: Why ambition alone is no longer enough
Georgia Tech deepens sustainability education with $150,000 in innovation grants
Hamburg Declaration sets global benchmark for responsible AI in sustainable development
AlgaEnergy and the future of sustainable agriculture
10th multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for the sustainable development goals
Smart manufacturing for a sustainable future
365 days of non stop river cleaning: Continuous innovation for a cleaner future
Transforming human energy into power: Innovations driving sustainability
Latvia’s Tome Aquaculture Centre: A sustainable leap towards global food security
Wise initiative: Reshaping sustainability through materials innovation
Algae-based inks are revolutionising industrialisation
Turning waste into wealth: The untapped potential of biochar in fighting climate change
20 years of progress in tsunami science
Plastic-eating insects: The surprising allies in fighting global plastic waste
Innovation in green transition: Biobased products from Innomost
The dual-use dilemma: Safeguarding against AI misuse in biosciences
Marine-derived cosmetics: A promising frontier in sustainable skincare
Advanced agriculture with hormone-based solutions
Reducing methane emissions through global collaboration: The impact of Thomas Lauvaux's research
How Aquaponics can tackle global challenges of food security and climate action
Disruptive transforming of agricultural waste
Project Drawdown: impact on sustainable agriculture and economic equality
Nanotech in sustainability - Sonia Contera and global collaboration
Bridging innovation and impact: Daniel Cervenka’s role in the Global Society Delegation
Smart grids: Enhancing energy efficiency and grid resilience
Sustainable agriculture: Innovations in precision farming, vertical agriculture, and genetically modified crops
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing environmental, social, and governance practices
Digital product passports: Narravero, pioneering sustainability in the global economy
On My Way APP: Driving sustainable change through real-time action
AI-powered conservation: Reducing wildlife deaths by mapping fences
Saving Encephalartos woodii: How AI and drones are revolutionizing plant conservation
TARGETS
Everyone can contribute to achieving the Global Goals. By focusing on these targets, meaningful action can be taken to create significant impacts across various areas. This approach encourages collaboration and collective efforts to address critical issues, ensuring that no one is left behind.
DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT AND INCLUSIVE INFRASTRUCTURES
Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder networks, to support economic development and human well-being. This should focus on providing affordable and equitable access for all.
PROMOTE INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIALIZATION
Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries.
INCREASE ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS
Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, particularly in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and facilitate their integration into value chains and markets.
UPGRADE ALL INDUSTRIES AND INFRASTRUCTURES FOR SUSTAINABILITY
By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable by increasing resource-use efficiency and adopting clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. All countries should take action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
ENHANCE RESEARCH AND UPGRADE INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGIES
Enhance scientific research and upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, particularly developing countries. By 2030, this includes encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people, as well as boosting public and private research and development spending.
FACILITATE SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries by providing enhanced financial, technological, and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states.
SUPPORT DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRIAL DIVERSIFICATION
Support domestic technology development, research, and innovation in developing countries by ensuring a conducive policy environment that promotes industrial diversification and adds value to commodities.
UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
Significantly increase access to information and communications technology, striving to provide universal and affordable Internet access in least developed countries by 2020.