The Goal and Its Importance
SDG 9 defines clear targets and corresponding indicators to promote all kinds of aspects related to resilient infrastructure, industrialization, and innovation. A key objective of the initiative is to create strong foundations at both a regional and trans-border level to support economic development and human well-being by considering all interconnected dimensions:
- The fundamental infrastructure consists of basic physical systems and structures that enable a society and its enterprises to function.
- With this in place, industrialization can drive economic growth, create job opportunities and thereby reduce income poverty.
- Finally, innovations advance technological capabilities of industrial sectors and prompt the development of new skills, products, or services.
Hence, technological advancement is a cornerstone for solving both economic and environmental challenges, such as job creation and global energy efficiency. For this to happen, it requires first a stronger focus on sustainable manufacturing, and second sustained investment in scientific research and development.
Based on these considerations, it is no surprise that the first target (9.1) is to upgrade the infrastructure in all countries to foster resource efficient transportation in an affordable and fair manner for all. Next, clean and environmentally sound technical solutions are promoted to drive industrialization.
This in turn will push up the demand for renewable energy, which must be accommodated by developing innovative ways to even more effectively generate, store, and use said energy. However, this does not only require innovation but also an electrical infrastructure with sufficient capacity and flexibility. Based on the array of different yet interconnected domains of life, anyone of them might become a bottleneck and it has to be delt with great care to not inadvertently choke of the progress of this sustainable development goal.
The more we invest in innovation and infrastructure, the better off we will all be. Bridging the digital divide, promoting sustainable industries, and investing in scientific research and innovation are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development.
Globally, we all stand to benefit from an increase in research towards sustainable technologies. Encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of researchers working on sustainable technology will help ensure that we have the means to build up our infrastructure and industry.
