GDC 2026 – Global Development Conference 2026 | Co-Creating the Future: Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE 2026

CO-CREATING THE FUTURE

Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development

The Global Development Conference 2026, organised by the Global Development Network (GDN), brings together researchers, innovators, policymakers, development practitioners and technical experts to co-create science, technology and innovation-driven solutions to global development challenges.

GDC 2026 will be hosted in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Japan, the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), World Bank Group Tokyo Development Learning Center, and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF).

THE CONFERENCE OPENS IN TOKYO IN

Days

Hours

Minutes

Seconds

Explore GDC 2026

Two days, four venues, 25 years

2days

Programme

Streamed, except the Co-Creation Labs. Moments not to miss:

15 Dec, 09:30. The GDAC 2026 Finals, live in front of the jury
16 Dec, 09:30. Beyond 2030, the high-level panel on financing pilots to national scale
16 Dec, 15:00. Premiere of the GDAC 25-Year Impact Documentary, then the Awards

See the programme › 14projects

Co-Creation Labs

Fourteen tables, each working on one obstacle that stops a project reaching more people.

From a solar cold chain in Ghana to locally owned AI in Sierra Leone
Engineers, data and AI specialists, practitioners and funders at each table
The concepts form the Tokyo Portfolio, sent to funders in early February

Explore the Labs › 25years

GDAC finalists

Supported by the Ministry of Finance of Japan since 2000, with over 420 researchers and organisations backed.

Six finalists from Indonesia, Brazil, Cameroon, Nigeria, Mozambique and Pakistan, chosen from 225 applications
Winners announced on 16 December at Europa House
Impact stories and films from 25 years of awards

Meet the finalists ›

Hub 1 · Venue, Asian Development Bank Institute

Inclusive Digital Transformation and Sustainable Economies

AMechanical water kiosk, Philippines
ASolar cold chain to reduce food loss, Ghana
BDigital twin for city waste, Malaysia
BDigital tools for peace and shared natural resources, Benin and Mali
BRadio classrooms with AI feedback, Pakistan
CMachine-readable corporate disclosure, Bangladesh
CAI-assisted teaching for adaptive classrooms, Bangladesh

Hub 2 · Venue, World Bank Group TDLC

Health Innovation, Governance and Resilient Societies

AHealth fund for migrants, Thailand
AChild-led pathways to financial resilience, India
BCompostable banana-fibre pads, Rwanda
BScaling a family poverty reduction model, Brazil
BResearch systems ready for digital transformation, El Salvador
CScaling locally owned AI evidence platforms, Sierra Leone
CCivic Data Commons for care economy data, Sri Lanka

Could your organisation help one of these projects scale? Engineers, data and AI specialists, researchers and policy experts can register as Solution Partners. Places at the tables are limited. Track A is Scale and Optimise, B Innovation Pivot, C AI Frontier.

Looking ahead · GDC 2027

Governing AI with the World Majority

Consensus, Evidence, Capacity and a Shared Research Agenda

GDN's AI strategy, "AI and Development in the Global South", will be launched at GDC 2026 in Tokyo. It opens a twelve-month path from practical projects to a shared AI research agenda, leading to GDC 2027 in the last quarter of 2027. The aim is to understand how AI is changing economies and societies in low- and middle-income countries, who gains and who loses, when it helps development, and how countries can steer it towards more inclusive and sustainable growth.

GDC 2026, TokyoIdentify
Between the two conferencesDevelop and learn
GDC 2027Consolidate and build further

Four provisional themes for GDC 2027

A working proposal, to be refined with researchers, policymakers and partners over the coming year.

Governing AI in the economy and the stateAreas A, C and D AI and learning, from early childhood to universityAreas B and C Languages and local data as public infrastructureAreas B, C and D Research systems and knowledge sovereigntyArea E

Five areas to start from

Area AJobs, firms and the path to growth

Area BAI in practice, from applications to outcomes

Area CWho gains from AI, and who is left behind

Area DThe institutions and market structures behind AI

Area EAI and the making of knowledge

Find out more and take part Concept note (PDF)