Regional Workshop on New Paradigms of Innovation and Technology to Address the Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic

The Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology (APCTT) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in partnership with the Ministry of Innovative Development, Republic of Uzbekistan organised a Regional Workshop on ‘New Paradigms of Innovation and Technology to Address the Challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic’ on 3 November 2020 at Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, arrangements were made for international speakers and participants to join the workshop through virtual platform.

The workshop deliberated on the role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in accelerating progress on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in addressing the challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Policymakers and experts from China, India, Ireland, Japan, Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Uzbekistan discussed strategies to use technologies, including emerging fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies, to address the challenges during- and post-COVID scenarios. The experts shared the national, regional and global experiences on innovation and use of emerging technologies to address the COVID-19 challenges, including those pertaining to the areas of healthcare, business, production, education and research and development. The workshop brought together 86 participants comprising government officials, research scientists, private sector representatives, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other relevant stakeholders related to innovation and technology transfer.