Conclusions and Future Policies for Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The final chapter reviews contributions from throughout this book, drawing out common themes, differences, and key lessons. Previous studies indicate the potential role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in tackling global challenges, yet in many developing countries, little attention is paid to harnessing STI in addressing these problems. The global development agenda, including the millennium development goals (MDGs), often underemphasized the potential for STI contributions, resulting in impacts that fell short of their potential. The chapter and other evidence presented in this book illustrate how a failure to provide the institutions and resources needed to build STI capacity, and a failure of key actors to engage synergistically, can be serious impediments to development. To conclude, the chapter sets out recommendations based on the insights provided in the earlier chapters.