2024 was a milestone year for the Accelerator Labs, UNDP’s open, globally distributed R&D capability. In 2024, the Network built on five years of global experimentation with innovation and development stakeholders to define, codify and share the how and the what of distributed bottom-up research and development (R&D) for sustainable development. UNDP’s largest investment in innovation and digital transformation to date, the Labs fortify a contribution to the UN 2.0 Quintet of Change – a renewed playbook for the United Nations to address 21st century problems with 21st century skillsets.

This report showcases the Network’s big bet in 2024: to transform the learning from its five years of cutting-edge experience in more than 100 countries into assets for the global community of development changemakers – from UNDP globally to governments to board members to local activists.