G-STIC is entirely focused on market-ready integrated technological solutions to achieve the SDGs. Integrated technological solutions not just deal with one sustainable development challenge at a time, but aim to achieve substantial social and economic benefits by tackling multiple challenges at the same time. By capturing real-life experiences and knowledge of policymakers, technology researchers, business and industry captains, and civil society, G-STIC aims to accelerate transitions to more sustainable production and consumption processes, with a clear purpose to connect technological innovation to policy making for sustainability.

Key Findings at G-STIC 2017

The first edition of G-STIC took place in Brussels from 23-25 October 2017, and was attended by more than 1.000 participants, representing policymakers, technology researchers, business and industry captains, and civil society. G-STIC 2017 focused on integrated solutions that work across disciplines and sectors, and assessed how to accelerate and make more effective their deployment to help resolve the myriad of challenges that lie ahead. G-STIC 2017 has provided deep insights, in particular paying attention to underserved and marginalized communities, and has identified holistic solutions that can be applied now and work for small-scale farmers and rural households as well as multinationals and start-ups.

The discussions highlighted that, to realise these technological opportunities, we need to break down institutional barriers, revisit established concepts, change laws, regulations and habits. Above all, it is vital to work across sectors, to promote new business models and value chains, to demonstrate how the combination of integrated solutions and new business models works, and rethink local, national and global policy making. That requires commercial and political leadership to advocate and make the changes that are good for people, planet and prosperity.

In addition to focusing on integrated technological solutions that have the potential to substantively contribute to achieving the SDGs, G-STIC 2017 has also addressed four aspects that are of fundamental importance to the SDGs: gender mainstreaming, youth engagement, climate and ICT.

Four key findings clearly emerged from the first G-STIC conference:

• Many technologies needed to achieve many SDG-related targets are readily available. Following demonstration to show effectiveness under real-life conditions, we need to develop strategies for deployment at scale to a level necessary to achieve the SDGs. For this, suitable policy and institutional environments, models, targeted incentives and partnerships are needed, which themselves are underpinned and strengthened by deep and sustained business, political and citizen engagement.
• Widely distributed and bottom-up technological solutions that are appropriate for communities’ needs and circumstances are to drive the realization of the energy and food SDGs, two key SDGs for achieving the 2030 Agenda.
• Circular economy is an essential element of the new narrative, with Industry 4.0 a key enabler to achieve it and resource recovery and use from waste streams, such as waste water and CO2, the new normal.
• ICTs are an indispensable tool to enable the achievement of the SDGs.

Three Reasons to Join G-STIC 2018

G-STIC 2018 will build on the results of G-STIC 2017 and further discuss the policy changes needed for the technological transition to sustainable societies. The different thematic sessions will dive deeper into integrated technological solutions with significant impact on the SDGs, and further strengthen the multi-stakeholder communities around the different thematic clusters of G-STIC. The second edition of G-STIC takes place in Brussels from 28-30 November 2018.

#1: Discover new routes to reach the SDGs: G-STIC 2018 is the place for high-level interactions between industry delegates, technology developers, researchers, socio-economic actors and policy makers, across industries and governmental departments. With a clear purpose to connect technological innovation to policy making for sustainability, G-STIC 2018 encourages you to discuss and work with government representatives from all over the world, discovering new routes to reach the SDGs and exploring how to develop them.

#2: Help define and deploy the technologies of the future: Diving deeper into integrated technological solutions that impact the SDGs, G-STIC 2018 will focus on strengthening multi-stakeholder communities around 7 thematic clusters & 6 cross-cutting themes. With a clear intention to define and develop an impact strategy, G-STIC 2018 will discuss the technologies that are needed in each of those areas to accelerate transitions to more sustainable production and consumption processes.

#3: Help shape new markets and accelerate opportunities: G-STIC 2017 highlighted that, to realise and accelerate opportunities for integrated technological solutions, it is vital to work across sectors, to promote new business models and value chains, to demonstrate how the combination of integrated solutions and business models works, and to rethink local, national and global policy making. G-STIC 2018 takes a new leap forward, discussing the policy actions that are needed to upscale the use of technologies, innovations, and practices in different regions of the world.

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Register for G-STIC 2018 via http://www.gstic.org/register

This article was authored by Verlee Vandeweerd, G-STIC Policy Director