Inclusive Technology and Innovation Policies

Science, technology and innovation (STI) are critical means of achieving sustainable development. Yet, STI can also be a source of inequality and exclusion. They are a source of exclusion when least developed countries and small island developing States in Asia and the Pacific do not have the necessary capabilities to make full use of the potential that technology and innovation offer for addressing sustainable goals. Technology and innovation can also be drivers of inequality when women, the poor, older persons, people with disabilities or other disadvantaged groups, from any country regardless of its level of development, cannot benefit from technological advances and cannot fully participate in innovation processes.

The design of science, technology and innovation (STI) policies matters as they influence the diffusion of technologies and their economic, social and environmental impact. Carefully designed interventions enable countries, firms and citizens to take advantage of available technologies. Well-crafted public actions encourage innovations that support productivity growth, respond to social needs and address environmental concerns. 

ESCAP’s Inclusive Technology and Innovation Policies programme supports governments across the region to design and implement inclusive innovation policies by providing:

• Advisory services 
• Knowledge exchange through workshops, forums and intergovernmental discussions 
• Research and analysis