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RIYADH/JEDDAH ¨C From 3 to 13 February 2026, the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries (UNTBLDC) conducted a high-level mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The mission aimed to strengthen South-South and Triangular cooperation, focusing on how science, technology, and innovation (STI) can be leveraged to accelerate development in the world¡¯s most vulnerable economies. A centerpiece of the mission was the "AI¡­

By Ousmane Bocoum, Programme Management Officer The vibrant streets of Conakry recently served as the beating heart of Africa¡¯s digital revolution. Last year, the Transform Africa Summit (TAS) turned the spotlight on Guinea, bringing together a powerhouse of innovators, policymakers, and change-makers. The Scale Was Impressive, but the Signal Was Bigger Under the theme "AI for Africa: Innovate Locally, Impact Globally," the 2025 edition of TAS¡­

By Deodat Maharaj Gebze, T¨¹rkiye The drivers of economic growth, innovation, and societal change are no longer solely wealthy nation-states and global institutional actors, but increasingly the technology companies. The so-called ¡°Magnificent Seven¡±¡ªNvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Meta, Tesla, and Alphabet (Google)¡ªnow dominate the global economy redefining traditional thinking of economic power and influence. By the end of 2025, these seven¡­

By Deodat Maharaj on the policy brief "Turning Artificial Intelligence into a Development Asset in Least Developed Countries" Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the global economy, yet Least Developed Countries (LDCs) risk being left behind at a critical moment. With 1.2 billion people but only a marginal share of global economic output, LDCs cannot afford to be passive participants in the AI revolution. The question is no longer¡­

The strong commitment to good governance remains a vital pillar in the operations of the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries (UNTB). In this regard, the Tenth Session of the Council of the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries was held virtually on 11¨C12 December 2025. This was the third such gathering in the calendar year. The meeting reviewed progress made during 2025 and discussed and¡­

By Burcu Tamga? M?rel, Associate Programme Management Officer From 2¨C4 December 2025, I had the privilege of accompanying our Managing Director, Mr. Deodat Maharaj, to Doha, Qatar, for the High-level Meeting on ¡°Forging Ambitious Global Partnerships for Sustainable and Resilient Graduation of Least Developed Countries¡± co-hosted by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the UN Office of the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS (UN¡­

By Deodat Maharaj Gebze, T¨¹rkiye Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing our world. It has helped a few companies in developed countries set record-breaking profits. This week, Nvidia, a leading US AI company, hit a market value of USD5 trillion. Nvidia, together with the other six technology companies known as the Magnificent Seven, reached a market capitalisation of USD22 trillion. This value easily eclipses the combined GDP of the¡­

The UN Technology Bank, in collaboration with Medtronic and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has released a new study examining how the medical technology (MedTech) sector can respond to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for more than 70% of global deaths. Through in-depth fieldwork in Bangladesh and Rwanda, the study analyzed innovation culture, intellectual property (IP) frameworks¡­

By Burcu Tamga? M?rel, Associate Programme Management Officer Partnerships are at the heart of everything we do at the UN Technology Bank. Every day, I witness how science, technology, and innovation (STI) can transform lives in the world¡¯s Least Developed Countries (LDCs)¡ªbut only if we build the right bridges and create genuine opportunities for collaboration. In August 2025, I had the privilege of accompanying our Managing Director, Mr. Deodat¡­

By El?in Torlak, Communications and Knowledge Management Expert Earlier this month, I had the chance to attend the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Awaza, Turkmenistan, as part of the UN Technology Bank delegation. It was held from 5¨C8 August 2025 under the theme ¡°Driving Progress through Partnerships.¡± For the 32 LLDCs, geography itself creates unique challenges. Without direct access to the sea, trade is slower¡­