G-STIC CONFERENCE 2019: MAKING REAL CHANGE HAPPEN

Spearheading technological innovation for the SDGs

Against a backdrop of growing urgency, 2000 participants and 150 speakers from 80 countries attended the G-STIC conference. Entrepreneurs, researchers, innovation experts, technology suppliers, investors, captains of industry and policymakers discussed clusters of market-ready technological solutions that contribute to delivering a safe climate, appropriate education, affordable energy, healthy lives, sustainable ocean resources and water for all.

Together, they helped start the process of crafting an SDG assessment framework against which technological solutions can be benchmarked. Moreover, they participated in deal-making and business development events in support of implementing market-ready solutions for climate and sustainability challenges.

Chairperson Summary

Highlighting the outcomes of the conference

The Chairperson Summary outlines the discussions and findings of the 2019 edition of the G-STIC conference from the perspective of ir. Dirk Fransaer (Founder G-STIC and Managing Director VITO, Belgium), Dr Veerle Vandeweerd (Co-founder and Policy Director G-STIC) and Dr Dietrich Van der Weken (General Manager G-STIC). In brief, the Chairperson Summary discusses the outcomes of the conference in 3 major areas.

A living library

The G-STIC conference initiated the process of developing a living library of integrated technological solutions that can substantively contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and climate goals.

An action forum

With the 2019 conference edition, G-STIC evolved into an action forum with deal-making and business development events to forward the implementation of solutions for climate and sustainability challenges.

A partnership platform

The G-STIC conference further strengthened G-STIC as a platform where organisations and communities come together to exchange state-of-the-art technological solutions, best practices and lessons learned.

Industry Night

Turning climate change challenges into business opportunities

The G-STIC Industry Night offered plenty of networking opportunities with influential policymakers, investors, and captains of industry. Keynote speakers Chad Frischmann (Project Drawdown), Sophie Souied-Soussan (Unilever), Alain Bernard (DEME), Richard White (AB InBev) and Sonja Willems (Janssen Pharmaceutica) highlighted emerging and rising trends in the industry and testified how businesses can drive growth and productivity while contributing to achieving the SDGs.

Pitching & Matchmaking

Scaling up businesses in support of implementing the SDGs

A series of deal-making and business development events took place in support of how we can live the change, and to forward the implementation of what G-STIC stands for. These events, including various matchmaking & pitching events, the Youth Challenge, the Copernicus Hackathon as well as masterclasses and workshops, were co-organised by G-STIC. Together, all strands of activities made the G-STIC conference into a vibrant place full of positive energy towards a more sustainable future.

Enterprise Europe Network, for example, organised a pitching & matchmaking event on the first conference. This event started with 5-minute presentations by companies and research organisations offering their market-ready technologies or looking for investors or research cooperation. These short presentations were then followed by bilateral B2B meetings.

2000 participants from 80 countries

Networking with people dedicated to sustainable development