Developing Global Sustainability - More, Faster and Leave No One Behind - What Works?

The world is facing major crises related to climate, nature, poverty, health, and food security. These crises affect the entire global community and must be solved without leaving anyone behind. What is clear is that we must partner-up to solve these challenges together, as UN Secretary-General Guterres put it: "Co-operate or perish!"

The world's development cooperation budget alone is far from sufficient to solve the challenges we face. It is therefore even more important that available funds are used effectively, bring about lasting change, and have a positive impact. But what kind of collaboration is needed when attempting to solve global crises? Can we continue with status quo or is a shift in priorities and methodologies needed? 

SINTEF has experienced through few, but successful projects, that cooperation on technology and innovation between countries in the global north and the global south, bring about lasting change and positive impact. In this debate we will discuss how to increase technology and innovation cooperation within the sphere of development cooperation, which actors are needed, the role of the relevant actors and success criteria to bring about lasting, positive change in local communities. 

To start off the debate Ole Jacob Sending, Research Director from NUPI will address funding for more impact. Bhola Thapa, Vice Chancellor from Kathmandu University will share experiences from a program that builds innovation capacity. Anneli Paulsen and Ingeborg Graabak from SINTEF will share some success criteria from SINTEFs point of view, and talk about a new EU project with African partners on modelling their green transition. 

Following the introductory interventions, Alexandra Bech Gjørv CEO, SINTEF will invite Bård Vegar Solhjell, Director, Norad, Arvinn Gadgil, Director Oslo Governance Centre, UNDP, Idar Kreutzer, Director International Section, NHO, Bhola Thapa and Ole Jacob Sending on to the stage to debate how Norway best can partner up with developing countries on technology and innovation to speed up global sustainability.

Welcome to an important debate on the role of technology and innovation cooperation within development. The organizer is the research institute SINTEF, and it takes place on "the global stage" together with Norad and other partners.

Contact the Director of SINTEF's Common Corporate Initiative "Global Sustainable Development," Anneli Alatalo Paulsen, for questions.