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 Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, organised the International Conference on Emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Technologies for Sustainable Development on 22 July 2021. The event was hosted by the Asia-Pacific Regional Innovation Knowledge Network for 4th Industrial Revolution Technologies (APRIKNET-4IR) and its Secretariat Office at Guangzhou University, People’s Republic of China.
Over 150 participants from universities, national laboratories and industrial and research organizations engaged in 4IR technology innovations as well as policymakers from the Asia-Pacific region attended the conference. The conference provided a platform for key experts to deliberate on the challenges, strategies and good practices for collaborative innovation of 4IR technologies. It also facilitated discussion on fostering regional cooperation and role of collaborative networks for diffusion of 4IR technologies in the Asia-Pacific region.
The programme comprised of technical presentations and knowledge sharing sessions on: (a) 4IR technology innovations for sustainable development – Challenges, opportunities and strategies; (b) Promoting 4IR technologies – Strategies for collaborative research, innovation and technology transfer in the Asia-Pacific; and (c) Strategies for regional cooperation to promote collaborative research and development (R&D) and innovations of 4IR technologies.
The conference envisaged to: Explore innovative strategies for cross-border R&D collaboration among universities, research institutions and laboratories to promote innovative applications of 4IR technologies in the Asia-Pacific region; Enhance awareness on the good practices and measures on innovation, technology transfer and application of emerging 4IR technologies and; Provide policy recommendations to facilitate regional cooperation for developing innovative 4IR technologies to address sustainable development challenges.