By Rachel Lee
Young entrepreneurs and startups from around the world gathered in Seoul to find solutions to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at an urban innovation competition, Sept. 19-20.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) organized the event with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA).
"Empowered young men and women can play a critical role in realizing the vision of the SDGs," ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office Director Kilaparti Ramakrishna said. "Together, we can set a path that is more sustainable and more inclusive for the world, starting with the communities that are the closest to us: cities."
The competition brought together startups developing SDG-integrated health, education, transportation and environment technologies in the context of smart, sustainable cities. The aim is to accelerate the implementation of SDGs by connecting public officials, private entrepreneurs, investors, IT professionals and youth, creating an innovative space for young entrepreneurs to share ideas and receive mentoring support for SDG solutions. It also showcases and supports technology-based business models that demonstrate potential in implementing the SDGs, ESCAP said.
UNDP Seoul Policy Centre Director Balazs Horvath said: "New technologies offer incredible opportunities for youth entrepreneurship, and UNDP is aiming to connect stakeholders from all sectors to foster sustainable and inclusive growth. Technology-based startups can be a great tool for mutually benefitting innovation in the urban context."
As part of the event, ESCAP, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), WFUNA and the United Nations Academic Impact Korea jointly hosted a leaders' breakfast for CEOs of startups, venture investors and senior public officials. This discussed the state of youth entrepreneurship, the impact and opportunities of big data analysis, automation, artificial intelligence and other technology-based inventions, in addition to the scope, limitations and implications of private-public partnerships for implementing the SDGs.
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