The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) will host a debate on ‘How to fast-track commercialisation  of Research and Development (R&D) outputs in OACPS member countries’ at the Science Summit organised around the 78th edition of the United Nations General Assembly.

This year marks the halfway point for achieving the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the world is off-track to meet them. We need radical transformative actions, and the Science Summit aims to advance the contribution of science to the SDGs.

In a world characterised by increasingly rapid scientific and technological change and emerging crises, Research and Innovation (R&I) play a crucial role. They can help find innovative solutions to pressing challenges in various areas such as food production, healthcare, transport, water and sanitation, energy, waste and circular economy, and climate and disaster resilience. However, to effectively address them, R&I efforts should be deployed faster, at a larger scale, with greater impacts where they are most needed.

The debate will contribute to the dialogue around SDG 9 (infrastructure, industrialisation and innovation), with a specific focus on the question of “how we can accelerate the adoption of research and innovation outputs and effectively transform them into products, processes, services, and technologies that positively impact people’s lives”.

Bringing to the market new products, services, processes and technologies developed through R&D activities presents a complex and challenging endeavour for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. It requires significant investment in development, marketing, and intellectual property management. Moreover, it requires a thorough understanding of the market, an enabling regulatory environment, networking expertise and strong collaboration among researchers, industry leaders, government, society and investors.

The debate will be introduced by Mr.Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, Secretary-General of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

It will then be led by the moderator in an interactive format with the 5 speakers, beneficiaries of the OACPS R&I Programme’s Innovation Fund and Policy Support Facility, to explore the following issues:

• How to create an environment that promotes collaboration among academia, industry, government and civil society and accelerates the uptake of R&D outputs?
• How can government policies and regulations best support the commercialisation of R&D outputs while protecting the public interest?
• How can structures such as innovation hubs, incubators, and technology parks facilitate the commercialisation of R&D outputs?

The debate intends to shed light on the essential ingredients for success and provide replicable examples and good practices to make innovation a powerful driver of sustainability.

Register as soon as possible at the Science Summit so that you can register for our session!

More information: https://sched.co/1NYBk