VIENNA – The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) jointly hosted an expert group meeting on 22 March 2023. More than 60 participants from academia, think tanks, the private sector, industrial associations, international organizations, and major groups and other stakeholders gathered in Vienna and online to discuss progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9) at the halfway point of the 2030 Agenda.

The objective of the meeting was to take stock of SDG 9, including in view of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants identified areas of concern and opportunities, and shared success stories. They suggested ways forward in terms of policies, partnerships, and coordinated actions.

The written outcome of the meeting serves as one of the main contributions to the review of SDG 9 undertaken by the high-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF). This year’s HLPF in July 2023 will be particularly important, as it conducts the mid-term review of the implementation of the SDGs (2015–2030) and serves as pre-summit to the second SDG Summit in September 2023.

The meeting confirmed that SDG 9 provides one of the bedrocks for the acceleration and realization of the 2023 Agenda. SDG 9 is a goal but also an enabler of almost all other SDGs. Inclusive and sustainable industrialization, investments in infrastructure and innovation are of central importance in addressing the grand challenges of our time: job creation, poverty reduction and addressing inequalities, resilience to economic shocks, climate protection, a green transformation and resource efficient production.

Progress on industrial development targets shows a mixed picture. While they are the backbone of economies, micro- and small industrial enterprises are affected by low productivity, limited access to resources and insufficient attention in government policies. The COVID-19 pandemic was a proof how fragile progress can be. At the same time, it was found that industrial capabilities were critical for weathering the crisis and to build resilience against future crises, including through industry-enabled digitalization. Going forward, financing and investment in industrial infrastructure, digitalization, and education and skills will be crucial for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and beyond.

 For more information please see: 

Expert Group Meeting on SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and its interlinkages with other SDGs; 

Summary of the expert group meeting in preparation of the HLPF 2023