Image: Paul Joseph Rio Daza/Flickr
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure

9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Investment in infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. With over half the world population now living in cities, mass transport and renewable energy are becoming ever more important, as are the growth of new industries and information and communication technologies.

Technological progress is also key to finding lasting solutions to both economic and environmental challenges, such as providing new jobs and promoting energy efficiency. Promoting sustainable industries, and investing in scientific research and innovation, are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development.

More than 4 billion people still do not have access to the Internet, and 90 percent are from the developing world. Bridging this digital divide is crucial to ensure equal access to information and knowledge, as well as foster innovation and entrepreneurship.   

Read our stories to learn more about SDG Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

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Image: Leong Him Woh/Flickr
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News

An office worker uses an AI bot for his project
Only 7 per cent of more than a thousand firms surveyed in the region are using artificial intelligence with adequate safeguards to help workers adapt to the technology’s impact, according to new analysis by AI Company Data Initiative.
Oil_Palm_Harvest_Worker_Indonesia
Activists warn a new US-Indonesia trade deal could accelerate mining, deforestation and fossil fuel use, with weak, nonbinding environmental safeguards.
Kristina Anguelova, The Nature Conservancy
Anguelova will work on establishing policies and partnerships for international carbon trading, based in Singapore.
Farmers_Soldiers_Afghanistan
What happens when fuel security collides with climate ambition in South Asian countries like Pakistan?
All Industry, innovation and infrastructure News →

Opinion

cryptocurrency investor
Requiring disclosures is an essential step for building integrity and unlocking the potential of blockchain technology.
Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi
Landslide election win strengthens push to link decarbonisation with economic security, boosting nuclear, domestic clean tech and state-led industrial strategy while keeping climate targets intact.
Clean_Tech_China_Skyline_Jiangsu
Vietnam’s stalled Chinese-backed solar factories underscore how Global South nations must demand technology transfer and value addition – not just capital inflows – from China’s expanding overseas clean-tech investments.
Aceh_Infrastructure_Disaster_Response
In 2004, Aceh was hardest hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami. In 2025, Indonesia’s most disaster-aware province was among the worst hit by floods. The failure was not forecasting, but what happened – or didn’t – after the alarms were raised.
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Videos

Unpacking Asia's plastic pollution problem
Exclusive Tune in to this webinar where our guest speakers discuss the region's plastic crisis, the state of play on the Global Plastics Treaty and circular economy strategies for businesses.
WASTED the impact documentary
The impact documentary exploring Asia's mounting waste crisis – and its solutions – is now streaming exclusively for Eco-Business subscribers.
TLC podcast
In the latest episode of the Climate Tech in Asia series, we speak to Breakthrough Energy and Green COP about what the shifting geopolitical landscape means for the climate tech ecosystem in Asia.
KL petronas towers
EB Studio As Malaysia forges ahead with its 2050 net zero climate ambition, businesses must reshape their supply chains for a low carbon future. This Eco-Business video looks at how SMEs can adapt to new sustainability reporting requirements.
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Podcasts

EB podcast_kitty bu
Southeast Asian energy ministers will meet in October to discuss the future of the region’s power grid. GEAPP’s Kitty Bu tells the Eco-Business podcast what areas they must collaborate on, and how finance and industry can help.
A beach in Balikpapan, Indonesia's "oil city", is covered in plastic trash.
Speaking from the INC-5.2 talks in Geneva, the Singapore Youth for Climate Action president argues that having no treaty is better than a watered-down pact with no limits on plastic production. But there is no explicit Asean-wide support for such caps now, she observes.
John Haffner, deputy director of sustainability, Hang Lung Properties, says internal advocacy has been key to driving the sustainability agenda. Image: ReThink 2
Having "stretch targets" can spur innovation, says the sustainability chief for one of Hong Kong's largest real estate firms in the latest episode of "On the frontlines". He also shares why the firm has chosen to publish the draft of its net zero plan for open discussion of its climate targets.
Sustainability professional should not be prescriptive with their solutions, says Aun Abdullah of real estate company Lodha.
In the latest episode of 'On the frontlines', the real estate giant's ESG head tells the EB Podcast that while there has been no pushback on climate action by corporate India, questions remain over whether the booming real estate sector is decarbonising fast enough.
All Industry, innovation and infrastructure Podcasts →

Strategic Organisations

NVPC Singapore Company of Good logo
First Gen
NZCA