There can be no sustainable development without science, technology and innovation (STI). Policymakers increasingly recognize that STI are a powerful instrument to raise productivity and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, innovation is not an automatic consequence of simply acknowledging its relevance.

The challenges of innovation take different shapes in various parts of the world, but even when some people and enterprises in developing economies have been able to achieve innovative breakthroughs, their path towards better paid and higher value-added activities often remains thwarted.

Moving away from such patterns entails political will as well as active engagement by Governments, academia and businesses. Developing effective STI strategies calls for a better understanding of the innovation process in developing countries.

The Innovation and Technology Day will extract lessons from experiences of people whose innovations have changed our vision of the world and explore policy implications.