Domain 1: People — Social and Economic Digital Transformation
This domain focuses on ending poverty and hunger, ensuring healthy and educated lives, and achieving equity and equality for all. It addresses the fundamental human-centric goals necessary for a stable and prosperous society.
FinTech for Radical Financial Inclusion
Extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 a day, is a condition trapping hundreds of millions. A key driver of this trap is exclusion from formal financial systems. These "unbanked" populations, often rural, female, or in the informal economy, lack access to the basic tools of economic mobility: secure credit, insurance, savings, and payments.
Design a decentralized or mobile-first financial technology (FinTech) platform. This solution must provide a verifiable, low-cost digital identity and offer access to at least one key financial service (e.g., micro-credit, micro-insurance). The design must be resilient and usable for populations with intermittent connectivity and varying levels of literacy.
To democratize access to financial services, foster entrepreneurship, and help implement a "social protection floor" for the world's most vulnerable populations.
AI-Driven Social Protection Systems
Social protection systems (like cash transfers or food aid) are critical for preventing people from falling into extreme poverty. However, these systems are often reactive, slow, and inefficient, struggling to identify and reach the most vulnerable, especially during sudden-onset crises like climate disasters or economic shocks.
Develop a data analytics and AI-powered "Dynamic Vulnerability" model. This system must ingest and integrate diverse, non-traditional data sources (e.g., satellite imagery, mobile network data, food-price feeds) to create a high-resolution, real-time map of poverty and vulnerability. The model should enable predictive, automated targeting of aid.
To transform social protection from a reactive to a predictive model, ensuring aid reaches the right people at the right time, minimizing human suffering and strengthening community resilience.
The Digital Extension Agent
A significant portion of the world's food is produced by small-scale farmers, yet they are often the most food-insecure. This paradox exists because they lack access to critical information: hyper-local weather data, climate-smart agricultural techniques, pest control advice, and fair market pricing.
Create a mobile-first, AI-powered advisory platform (a "Digital Extension Agent") for smallholder farmers. To overcome literacy barriers, the platform must prioritize voice and audio-based interfaces. It must deliver actionable, hyper-local advice on pest control, meteorological data, and market pricing to improve yields and income.
To contribute to the goal of doubling agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers by democratizing access to actionable, climate-smart knowledge.
Blockchain for Food System Transparency
The global food system is plagued by inefficiency. An estimated one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted. This loss occurs at every stage of the supply chain, from post-harvest losses due to poor storage to retail and consumer waste, all of which is exacerbated by opaque and untraceable supply chains.
Develop a traceability solution using a combination of IoT sensors and blockchain technology to track a food product from farm to consumer. The system must monitor and record key metrics (e.g., temperature, humidity, location) in real-time on an immutable ledger, identifying wastage hotspots and providing verifiable proof of origin.
To drastically reduce food loss and waste by creating a transparent, accountable, and highly efficient global food supply chain.
AI-Powered Diagnostics for Remote and Low-Resource Areas
Millions of people in low-resource settings die from preventable or treatable diseases (including complications in childbirth, contributing to high maternal mortality) because they lack access to basic diagnostic services. There is a global shortage of specialists, like radiologists and ophthalmologists, to interpret medical images.
Develop an AI/Machine Learning model that can perform high-accuracy disease diagnosis using a low-cost, low-power mobile device. The solution (e.g., analyzing chest X-rays for tuberculosis, or retinal scans for diabetic retinopathy) must be deployable offline and designed for use by a community health worker with minimal training.
To democratize medical diagnostics, bringing specialist-level knowledge to primary care clinics and remote villages, thereby saving lives and improving health outcomes.
Gamified Mental Wellness Platform for Youth
SDG 3's mandate to "promote well-being for all" explicitly includes mental health. Yet, a global mental health crisis is growing, particularly among young people. Traditional therapy is often inaccessible, unaffordable, or highly stigmatized, preventing youth from seeking help.
Create an engaging, "gamified" mobile application that promotes mental well-being and emotional resilience for youth. The platform's design must be grounded in evidence-based clinical practices (e.g., CBT, mindfulness) and provide users with positive coping tools and access to peer-support networks, all while ensuring robust data privacy and user safety.
To reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and provide a free, accessible, and engaging "first step" for young people to build mental resilience and connect with support systems.
Personalized AI Tutor for K-12
The "one-size-fits-all" model of traditional education struggles to meet the diverse needs of all students, leading to significant learning gaps. This inequality is exacerbated in overcrowded, under-resourced classrooms. Personalized career guidance and adaptive learning are urgently needed.
Develop an AI-powered personalized learning platform that functions as a 24/7 "AI Tutor." The system must be able to assess a student's knowledge level, adapt to their individual learning pace, identify knowledge gaps, and provide a customized curriculum of content (e.g., interactive exercises, videos, quizzes) to achieve subject mastery, especially in foundational skills.
To bridge learning gaps and provide high-quality, personalized education at scale, offering every student a pathway to mastery regardless of their school's resources.
Digital Upskilling Platform for Lifelong Learning
SDG 4 promotes "lifelong learning opportunities for all". In an era of rapid technological change and automation, the traditional "one-time" degree model is obsolete. Workers and professionals must constantly re-skill to remain relevant in the labor market.
Design an online platform focused on "micro-credentials" and project-based learning for high-demand technical and green-economy skills. The solution must use an AI-driven "skills-mapping" engine to analyze a user's current abilities, suggest a personalized "upskilling roadmap," and connect them with mentors and potential employers.
To create a flexible, accessible, and effective ecosystem for lifelong learning and career-switching, empowering the global workforce to adapt to the future of work.
Tech-Enabled Safe Spaces and Alert Systems
A key target of SDG 5 is the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in public and private spheres. The fear or reality of violence acts as a profound barrier, limiting women's mobility, access to education, and participation in the economy.
Develop a "digital safe space" solution. This could be a low-cost, discreet wearable device or a mobile application that integrates with trusted community networks (e.g., family, friends, local security). The solution must feature a rapid, one-touch alert system and must be designed to prioritize user privacy and function reliably in low-connectivity environments.
To reduce the incidence of violence against women and improve their safety and mobility, thereby increasing their access to educational and economic opportunities.
Platform for Women Entrepreneurs in the Digital Economy
Digital technologies offer immense potential to "open possibilities for increased employment and business opportunities" for women. However, a persistent "digital divide" and structural inequalities mean women are often left behind, with technology "perpetuating and embedding existing patterns of gender inequality".
Create an integrated platform (web and mobile) designed specifically to empower female entrepreneurs in developing economies. The platform must be a one-stop-shop that combines three key pillars: 1) access to financial services (e.g., FinTech micro-loans), 2) digital skills training, and 3) a secure e-commerce marketplace to sell products and services globally.
To help close the gender-based digital and economic divide by providing women with the tools, capital, and market access needed to build and scale their businesses.
Assistive Technology for Digital Inclusion
Inequality is dramatically exacerbated by the digital divide, which disproportionately affects persons with disabilities (PWDs). A lack of accessible education tools and assistive technology (AT) creates critical barriers, effectively locking millions out of the modern economy, education, and civic life.
Design an open-source, low-cost assistive technology solution. This could be an AI-powered screen reader for the visually impaired that functions in local dialects, a gesture- or voice-control system for those with motor impairments, or adaptive learning tools for neurodiverse students. The solution must be affordable and easy to deploy.
To ensure that all people, regardless of physical or cognitive ability, can fully and independently participate in the digital world, in line with the principle of leaving no one behind.
AI Auditing for Algorithmic Bias
As AI and algorithms are increasingly used in critical life decisions—such as hiring, credit lending, and criminal justice—we risk "embedding existing patterns of inequality" at a systemic level. A biased algorithm can perpetuate discrimination at an unprecedented scale.
Develop a "bias and fairness" auditing toolkit. This software must be able to test third-party AI models (including "black box" systems) for discriminatory outcomes based on protected classes like race, gender, or age. The tool should provide a "fairness score" and, ideally, suggest mitigation strategies for developers.
To promote "non-discriminatory laws and policies" in the digital age by creating a technical tool to hold algorithmic systems accountable, reduce systemic bias, and build trust.
Domain 2: Planet — Cleantech and Environmental Systems Innovation
This domain addresses the urgent need to protect our planet's natural resources. It focuses on the technological and systems-level innovations required to deliver clean water, sustainable energy, and resilient cities, while protecting our climate and the biodiversity on land and below water.
IoT-Based Smart Water Management
Water resource management is a critical environmental challenge. In many urban areas, up to 50% of treated water is lost to leaks and theft, known as "non-revenue water". In agriculture, inefficient irrigation wastes vast quantities of this finite resource.
Design and prototype a low-cost, scalable IoT system for smart water management. The solution must use sensors to monitor water flow, pressure, and quality in real-time within a distribution network. An accompanying data dashboard must use this data to automatically detect leaks, predict demand, and enable holistic, "source-to-sea" management.
To significantly improve water efficiency, reduce waste, and build resilience in urban and agricultural water infrastructure, contributing to both SDG 6 and SDG 11.
Decentralized Water Purification Technology
Billions of people still lack access to safe and affordable drinking water. Centralized water treatment plants are often not economically or geographically feasible for remote, rural, or low-income communities. There is a critical need for new "wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies".
Develop a prototype for a low-cost, durable, and decentralized water purification or desalination unit. The solution must be capable of operating "off-grid" (e.g., using solar power, per SDG 7), be maintainable by a local community, and effectively treat common local contaminants (e.g., bacteriological, heavy metals, or high salinity).
To provide a pathway for safe and affordable drinking water to communities currently unserved by traditional infrastructure, improving health and reducing water-borne diseases.
Innovation in Long-Duration Energy Storage
The "intermittency" of renewable energy sources (i.e., the sun does not always shine, the wind does not always blow) is the single greatest technical barrier to their widespread adoption. This has created a critical need for "flow batteries, pumped hydro, and thermal storage".
Propose and model a novel, low-cost, and environmentally sound solution for large-scale, long-duration (e.g., 8+ hours) energy storage. This could be a new flow battery chemistry, a high-efficiency thermal storage system, or an innovative "green hydrogen" production and storage model.
To "unlock" a 100% renewable energy grid by solving the problem of intermittency, directly enabling SDG 7 and providing a cornerstone solution for SDG 13 (Climate Action).
Smart Microgrid Management Platform
Nearly 800 million people lack access to electricity. For many remote communities, extension of the national grid is not viable. "Smart grid" and "distributed energy" solutions—or microgrids—are the key to providing reliable, clean energy and building resilience against grid failure in all communities.
Develop a software platform for managing a decentralized, community-level microgrid. The platform must use AI to perform real-time load balancing between diverse assets (e.g., solar panels, batteries), manage peer-to-peer energy trading within the community, and optimize for grid stability and affordability.
To enable the rapid, cost-effective deployment of reliable, clean, and affordable energy in areas unreached by the traditional grid.
Circular Economy Waste-to-Value Platform
Cities are engines of growth but also massive generators of waste, which pollutes air, soil, and water, threatening public health. The "circular economy," which designs out waste and pollution, is a key solution. A major barrier is the lack of at-source segregation and a functioning market for recycled materials.
Design a "waste-to-value" platform that digitally connects urban waste generators (households, businesses) with waste processors (recyclers, composters). The solution must use gamification or financial incentives to encourage at-source segregation and create an efficient, transparent market for "waste" as a resource.
To transform urban waste from an environmental liability into a valuable asset, creating cleaner cities, reducing landfill use, and fostering new "green" economic opportunities.
Multimodal Smart Mobility Platform
Urban mobility in many cities is defined by gridlock, inefficiency, and high carbon emissions, leading to air pollution and economic losses. Sustainable urban transport requires a shift away from single-occupancy cars and toward an integrated system of "public transport integration" and shared assets.
Develop an integrated urban mobility platform that unifies all transport options (e.g., public transit, bike-share, EV charging stations, ride-share) into a single application. The system must provide real-time, AI-optimized routing that "nudges" users toward the most sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient multimodal journeys.
To reduce urban congestion and emissions while providing "safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport" for all city dwellers.
Supply Chain Transparency for Sustainable Production
Modern supply chains are vast, complex, and dangerously opaque. This "linear economy" model hides the true social and environmental costs of production, from carbon emissions to exploitative labor. Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable and ethically-produced goods but lack the trustworthy data to make informed choices.
Use a combination of technologies (e.g., blockchain, IoT sensors, satellite imaging) to create a "digital passport" for a physical product (e.g., a cotton t-shirt, a bag of coffee). This passport must provide consumers with verifiable, end-to-end, un-tamperable proof of the product's sustainable and ethical sourcing.
To empower "responsible consumption" by making supply chains transparent, holding producers accountable, and rewarding truly sustainable practices.
Platform for the "Circular Economy" Asset-Sharing
Our "linear economy" is built on a "take-make-dispose" model. A "circular economy" is designed to continuously reuse resources and reduce waste. High-value assets—such as industrial tools, medical devices, or construction equipment—often sit idle for most of their lifespan, representing massive inefficiency.
Develop a B2B "asset-sharing" platform. This "Internet of Things" (IoT) enabled marketplace must allow companies to safely and efficiently rent out their idle equipment to other businesses. The platform must manage logistics, insurance, and real-time asset tracking.
To accelerate the shift to a circular economy by moving from a model of "ownership" to "access," maximizing the utility and lifespan of physical assets and reducing the need for new production.
AI for Climate-Related Disaster Resilience
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and wildfires. Building resilience requires the ability to predict these events and provide "Early Warning for All".
Develop an AI-powered early warning system for a specific climate-related disaster. The system must integrate diverse, large-scale datasets (e.g., weather models, satellite remote sensing, ground sensor data) to generate high-resolution predictive models and disseminate clear, timely, and actionable alerts to at-risk populations.
To build societal resilience to climate shocks, save lives and property, and provide a critical tool for national adaptation plans.
Digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) for Carbon Markets
Carbon markets are a key mechanism for financing climate action by allowing polluters to "offset" their emissions by paying for conservation or carbon-negative projects. However, these markets are plagued by a lack of trust, transparency, and high verification costs. It is difficult to prove that a carbon offset is real, permanent, and additional.
Create a digital MRV platform to bring trust and automation to carbon markets. The solution must use technology (e.g., satellite remote sensing for forest cover, IoT sensors for soil carbon, blockchain for a transparent registry) to automatically and transparently measure, report, and verify carbon sequestration or emissions reductions in real-time.
To bring radical transparency and scalability to carbon markets, unlocking billions in private finance for climate action (SDG 13) and the protection of forests and ecosystems (SDG 15).
Ocean Debris and Pollutant Tracking System
Our oceans are choking on plastic debris and chemical pollutants, which threaten marine biodiversity and enter the human food chain. The diffuse nature of this pollution makes it difficult to track, clean up, and hold polluters accountable.
Design a system (e.g., using autonomous ocean drones, AI-powered analysis of satellite imagery, or "digital twin" ocean current models) to monitor, track, and predict the accumulation of marine debris and pollutants. The system must be able to identify major accumulation hotspots and trace pollution back to its source.
To provide the high-resolution data necessary for targeted, efficient cleanup efforts and for the enforcement of anti-pollution policies, contributing to both SDG 14 and SDG 12.
Tech for Sustainable Aquaculture
As wild fish stocks collapse, aquaculture (fish farming) is rapidly expanding to meet global demand for protein. However, intensive aquaculture can create its own severe environmental problems, including water pollution, disease outbreaks, and the destruction of coastal habitats.
Develop an IoT and AI-powered management system for sustainable aquaculture. The solution must use a network of in-water sensors to monitor key parameters in real-time (e.g., water quality, dissolved oxygen, fish health indicators, feed levels). An AI-driven dashboard must then optimize resource use (especially feed) and minimize the farm's environmental footprint.
To make aquaculture more sustainable and efficient, ensuring it can be a long-term solution for global food security (SDG 2) without destroying marine ecosystems (SDG 14).
Real-Time Deforestation and Land Degradation Monitoring
Terrestrial ecosystems, especially forests, are vital "lungs of the planet" and hotspots of biodiversity. Yet, illegal logging and land degradation continue at an alarming rate, often happening in remote areas too quickly for authorities to intervene.
Create a real-time, high-resolution monitoring and alert system for deforestation and land degradation. The solution must fuse data from multiple sources (e.g., public satellites like Sentinel, high-resolution commercial imagery, and on-ground IoT-based audio sensors to "hear" chainsaws). An AI model must analyze this data to detect and verify illegal activity, automatically alerting authorities.
To "halt and reverse land degradation" by providing a powerful, undeniable tool for transparency, law enforcement, and ecosystem protection.
Digital Biodiversity Tracking and Poaching Prevention
We are in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, with poaching and habitat loss driving thousands of species toward extinction. Traditional conservation methods (like physical ranger patrols and invasive radio collars) are often expensive, dangerous, and insufficient to cover the vast areas that need protection.
Develop a non-invasive, scalable system for tracking and protecting endangered wildlife. This could involve a network of AI-powered "smart" camera traps that use image recognition to identify both animals and poachers, acoustic sensors that detect gunshots or vehicles, or a data-driven model that predicts poaching "hotspots" to optimize ranger patrols.
To halt biodiversity loss by providing a scalable, low-cost, and effective technology for wildlife conservation and anti-poaching efforts.
Domain 3: Prosperity and Peace — Infrastructure and Institutional Technology
This domain focuses on the underlying systems that enable societies to function and thrive. It addresses the need for decent work, innovative and resilient infrastructure, and the accountable, peaceful institutions that serve as the foundation for all other goals.
Industry 4.0 for SME Productivity
Target 8.2 explicitly calls for "technological upgrading and innovation" to boost economic productivity. While large corporations are adopting "Industry 4.0" (e.g., IoT, AI, robotics), the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that form the backbone of most economies are being left behind due to high cost and complexity.
Develop a low-cost, modular "Industry 4.0" toolkit for SMEs in the manufacturing or logistics sector. This could include a simple IoT solution for predictive maintenance on old machinery, an AI-powered camera system for quality control, or a basic platform for supply chain optimization.
To "diversify, innovate and upgrade" the SME sector, boosting its productivity, competitiveness, and ability to create "sustained, inclusive" economic growth.
Ethical Gig Economy Platform
Digital platforms have created millions of "gig work" opportunities, contributing to economic growth. However, this model often fails the "decent work" aspect of SDG 8. Many gig workers lack fair pay, job security, or access to "social protection", operating as precarious, disempowered contractors.
Design the architecture for a "worker-centric" gig economy platform. This solution must be structured (perhaps as a digital cooperative) to ensure fair and transparent algorithms, mechanisms for "decent job creation," portable social benefits (e.g., insurance, pensions) for workers, and pathways for "entrepreneurship".
To create a new, ethical model for the digital economy that provides both flexibility and "full and productive employment and decent work for all".
Digital Twin for Resilient Infrastructure
SDG 9 calls for "quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure". Climate change and other shocks place unprecedented stress on our critical physical infrastructure (e.g., bridges, power grids, water systems). The traditional "fail and fix" maintenance model is no longer sufficient.
Develop a "Digital Twin" platform for a specific, critical piece of urban or rural infrastructure. This platform must use real-time IoT sensor data (e.g., from strain gauges, vibration sensors) to model the infrastructure's health, use AI for predictive maintenance (i.e., predicting failure points), and run simulations to test its resilience against various shocks.
To enable true "sustainable and resilient infrastructure development" by shifting from a reactive "fail and fix" model to a proactive "predict and prevent" model.
Open Innovation Platform for R&D
Target 9.5 calls for enhancing scientific research and increasing R&D workers. However, groundbreaking research is often siloed within individual university labs or corporate R&D departments, and "foster[ing] innovation" requires new models of collaboration.
Create a collaborative "open innovation" platform that connects industrial and social "challenge-holders" (e.g., a company needing a new material, an NGO needing a new device) with university researchers and independent innovators ("solvers"). The platform must facilitate "knowledge sharing", project management, and rapid IP agreements.
To accelerate "domestic technology development, research and innovation" by breaking down institutional silos and efficiently connecting real-world problems to novel solutions.
CivicTech for Institutional Transparency
SDG 16 calls for "effective, accountable and inclusive institutions". Corruption, bribery, and a lack of transparency erode public trust, divert funds from critical services, and are a primary obstacle to development.
Develop a "CivicTech" platform to "enhance the transparency and accountability of public institutions". This could be a tool for tracking public budgets and expenditures in real-time, an open-data platform for monitoring government performance, or a secure, encrypted, and anonymous whistleblowing platform for reporting corruption.
To "substantially reduce corruption" and build "strong institutions" by empowering citizens, journalists, and oversight bodies with access to information.
Digital Platform for Access to Justice
"Access to justice for all" is a cornerstone of SDG 16. However, for billions of people, legal services are unaffordable, geographically inaccessible, or intimidating. This disproportionately affects marginalized groups.
Create a digital platform to "facilitate access to justice for marginalized groups". This solution could be an AI-powered "legal chatbot" that provides information on basic rights and procedures, a platform for "remote access to legal resources", or a system to streamline and manage "virtual court hearings" for simple cases.
To democratize the legal system, "promote the rule of law", and ensure that justice is not just a privilege for the wealthy but an accessible right for all.
Global Platform for SDG Technology Transfer
SDG 17 is the "meta-goal" that enables the other 16. Target 17.7 explicitly promotes the "transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries". Target 17.8 calls for a "technology bank". A key barrier is that proven solutions remain siloed.
Design a "global technology facilitation mechanism". This platform must act as an open-source "clearinghouse" or "app store" for proven, low-cost, SDG-related technologies (e.g., 3D-printable medical devices, open-source microgrid designs, water filtration plans). The platform must connect solution-providers with communities and partners who need them.
To "strengthen the science, technology and innovation capacity" of developing countries by creating an efficient, global mechanism for technology and knowledge transfer.
Multi-Stakeholder Data-Sharing Platform
Achieving the complex, interconnected SDGs requires "multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge". However, vital data is often locked in silos within governments, private companies, and civil society. Trust and technical barriers prevent the "exchange of data and information" needed for collaborative action.
Develop a secure, federated data-sharing platform. The platform's architecture must allow different organizations to share insights from their data without sharing the raw data itself (e.g., using federated learning, differential privacy, or other privacy-preserving techniques).
To enable effective "partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society" by creating the trusted technical infrastructure necessary for large-scale data collaboration.