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From climate change to conflict and global pandemics, the world is facing complex challenges. These challenges have impeded progress in many sectors and slowed progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recent reports, for instance, have found that only 15% of the goals are on track to be met by 2030. With this backdrop, it especially important to achieve SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, which seeks to advance resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation.

To generate economic opportunities and promote social development while accelerating climate action, the world needs creative solutions. Engineering is uniquely suited to generate innovative ideas to reach SDG 9 and the Frontiers network is hard at work across the globe to drive change, as shown in the case studies, insights, concrete actions, and resources below.

Case study

Solar panels transform solar energy into electricity and are typically designed to operate for around 25 years. However, this lifetime is not always a reality in remote and arid landscapes, where dust accumulation can reduce efficiency by up to 40% in just one year. In addition, traditional cleaning approaches can damage the panels and consume large quantities of water – exacerbating water scarcity in many low- and middle-income countries.

SDG 9 fact:

To achieve Goal 9 by 2030, it is essential to support least developed countries (LDCs), invest in advanced technologies, lower carbon emissions and increase mobile broadband access.

(Source: United Nations)

Solar panels on the roof

Image by tawatchai07 on Freepik

Following the success of a project that addressed the lack of clean and potable water in Brazil – and building on the connections made at the Perspective on Development Frontiers symposium in November 2016 – Ioannis Papakonstantinou, Professor of Nanoengineering at University College London (UCL), is prototyping a self-cleaning solar panel. The invention aims to increase the efficiency of solar energy generation and reduce water use in low-income regions of Brazil and India. Ioannis hopes not only to commercialise the prototype, but also to equip and empower the next generation of engineers to develop sustainable technologie

Madagascar is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, facing increasingly frequent cyclones. Rural and remote communities in the country have been particularly affected as their local infrastructure is susceptible to weather-related damage. For instance, a large cyclone in 2017 caused over $400 million in damages and destroyed more than 300,000 buildings in the country.

With funding from the Frontiers programme, a cross-sectoral team of researchers from the UK, Kenya, Uganda, and Madagascar worked to assess local resilience to cyclones using an innovative, three-pronged approach. Together, they analysed the structural capacity of traditional homes, the adaptive capacity of local people in responding to disasters and the effect of climate on weather patterns. The team then used their findings to propose resilient solutions to the Malagasy government and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Additionally, they conducted training sessions for both local and international early-career researchers on climate resilience research methods.

Insights

Infrastructure for equity, inclusivity, and sustainability

Participants of the Frontiers ‘Digital Futures: infrastructure for equity, inclusivity, and sustainability’ symposium came together in Bangalore, India in July 2023 to discuss digital public infrastructure (DPI) across the globe. Just as physical public infrastructure has brought critical resources like water and electricity to communities worldwide, DPI can drive progress towards sustainable development. For instance, online banking platforms and digital identification are helping to improve financial inclusion and access to services.

Yet, DPI must also work to improve digital inclusion and access to reach these goals. For example, 2.7 billion people still do not have internet access. Together, the Frontiers community discussed challenges, insights, and potential for DPI:

Participants of the Frontiers symposium Bengaluru, India

Throughout the discussions, the Frontiers community raised key insights on how to simultaneously promote economic inclusivity and climate action:

  • DPI development must include communities – from initial stages to implementation – to ensure solutions are tailored to their local contexts and needs. Including a range of stakeholders when designing DPI can better ensure that the final product meets their needs and that the DPI can be maintained and managed effectively.
  • Digital solutions can be tailored and adapted across different contexts, leveraging learnings from one country to another. Highly effective DPI is built on components that can be used and translated to different applications and populations.
  • Building trust in DPI is key to ensuring their uptake. Accomplishing this means using reliable systems, opening communication, and bolstering security. When issues arise, transparency and platforms for public engagement must be in place.
  • Digital literacy can be a limiting factor for the uptake of DPI, especially in remote and rural communities. Additionally, DPI creators should aim to ensure the digital divide does not grow because of their work.
  • Those developing DPI must also consider environmental impacts. Innovators should consider the emissions, energy use, and potential e-waste of their solutions and explore sustainable alternatives.

SDG 9 in action

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide lack proof of legal identity. This creates barriers to critical services and exacerbates the digital exclusion of marginalised and remote communities. Demonstrating the potential for DPI to help improve digital inclusion and access, Ramesh Narayanan, a technologist working on India’s MOSIP platform, shared his experiences at the ‘Digital Futures: infrastructure for equity, inclusivity, and sustainability’ symposium as chair of the ‘Security, privacy, and availability of DPI’ session.

The MOSIP platform was created to provide digital identification for Indian citizens. Since its inception, more than 90 million people have received a digital ID. Critical to its success, Ramesh underlined, was that it is open source. This allows other countries to adopt their own digital identification systems and tailor it to their citizens’ needs. However, trust was another important part of the platform’s uptake, Ramesh underlined: “Even if the technology is perfect, if there is no trust, a DPI will not take off.” Adopting a principle-driven design approach – considering transparency, privacy, openness, governance, and security – can improve trust among users.

SDG 9 fact:

Globally, 95% of people have access to mobile broadband coverage of 3G or higher as of 2022. This is a significant increase from 78% in 2015. However, access is not equal – sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania currently have lower rates of coverage than the global average.

(Source: UNDESA)

“Even if the technology is perfect, if there is no trust, a DPI will not take off.” - Ramesh Narayanan, Symposium session co-chair

Resources

Central not only to SDG 9, but to all the Sustainable Development Goals, is innovation. Solving the world’s biggest problems means developing creative approaches to complex challenges. The international Frontiers community is pioneering these innovative solutions, collaborating across sectors and regions. However, maintaining momentum when funding is scarce is a significant impediment to progress. SDG 9 highlights this, outlining targets for increasing investment in research and development.

The Frontiers community shared tools and tips from their experience to adapt to changing funding circumstances and continue progress:

  • Explore different sources of funding. For example, there is funding to support visiting PhDs via the Turing Schemein the UK, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) Funds, or Royal Society Research Exchanges.
  • Be clear about funding requirements for a project. Using simulations can help clarify how much funding is required to achieve the desired solution.
  • Learn from past experiences when planning. If funding requirements allow, recycle budgets from similar projects for multiple uses.
  • Seek opportunities to expand your network. For instance, you could apply to become part of a university’s supervisory team for master’s or undergraduate research projects. Events such as the Frontiers symposia also help to facilitate new connections.
  • Find creative ways to maintain relationships with collaborators. This may involve using online tools such as Zoom, Telegram, or WhatsApp, or participating in networking events.
  • Identify tangible outputs to work towards, such as an academic paper publication or conference presentation, to help drive momentum.

Frontiers community resources

The Frontiers community has identified several helpful resources for building resilient infrastructure, promoting sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation through research collaboration:

Looking for more resources on this topic?

For more insights, tools, and tips like the ones in this report, check out all the Frontiers content available in our resources section

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