UNIDO launches global call on innovative ideas and technologies vs. COVID-19

Before the background of the immediate health emergency-related and socio-economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in LDCs, developing countries, and economies in transition, a UNIDO-wide call for action in the form of a global competition for innovative ideas and technologies has been launched. It has been initiated and is hosted by the UNIDO Network of Investment and Technology Promotion Offices (ITPO Network), and particularly supported by ITPO Italy.

The Global Call on “Innovative Ideas and Technologies vs. COVID-19 and beyond” aims to identify the most innovative solutions that are tackling the effects of COVID-19 in developing countries and make their economies more resilient, in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The call is open to companies, start-ups, universities, incubators, research and technology centres and other potential applicants listed in the call with a focus on four strategic categories related to COVID-19 outbreak and beyond:

Health emergency

Telemedicine, biotechnologies and digital health, prevention and control

Energy and environment

Medical waste management and recycling, renewable energy for health-care, water management

Food and agriculture

Smart food logistics and distribution, urban farming, inclusive local market ecosystems

Resilient industries and infrastructure

Manufacturing of protective and medical equipment, distributed networks and fabrication laboratories (“fablabs”), new organizational models

All interested candidates must submit their application by 30 June 2020 through a form on the dedicated website.

The Award Ceremony will be held in live streaming on 14 July 2020. Among other benefits, the winners will be given the opportunity to showcase their winning proposals at EuroScience Open Forum 2020 in Italy and EXPO Dubai 2021.