Policy Research and Analysis on Inclusive Technology and Innovation Policies

ARTNETonSTI is a platform to share findings of academic research on STI and their policy implications, reflect on current science, technology and innovation (STI) policy issues, and support research to inform STI policies in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Partners bring to ARTNETonSTI expertise in specific policy areas, helping to identify critical STI policy issues and providing a forum for disseminating policy-relevant research.

Current areas of research and analysis include:

  • AI for Social Good: Under the AI for Social Good research network, leading academics from around the region are conducting research on how to promote the use of AI for social good and manage risks and concerns. The network is supported by ESCAP, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, Google, and Keio University. As part of this network, eight research projects have been sponsored, and key insights have been shared in events such as the AI for Social Good Summit.
  • Grassroots innovation: Grassroots innovations developed by communities provide affordable, niche-adapted solutions to local problems, often unaided by the public sector, firms or NGOs. The Honey Bee Network has led the grassroots innovation movement in India over the past three decades and has become a global reference. ESCAP has supported research in this area through regional workshops, webinars, and publications such as the Workbook on Policies and Strategies to Promote Grassroots Innovation.
  • Inclusive business: Inclusive businesses provide goods, services, and livelihoods on a commercially viable basis, either at scale or scalable, to people living at the base of the economic pyramid, making them part of the value chain of companies´ core business as suppliers, distributors, retailers, or customers. ESCAP, in collaboration with iBAN has been conducting national landscape studies to identify existing and potential inclusive business companies, analyze the overall context in which they operate, and provide recommendations for policymakers and institutions to encourage inclusive businesses.