The Japan SDGs Innovation Challenge

Co-developing, designing and testing with the Japanese private sector

The Japan SDGs Innovation Challenge (JSIC) connects Japanese companies and start-ups - many of them new to the United Nations and SDG Action - with UNDP Accelerator Labs in selected countries. Together, they test, experiment and gain business intelligence in the context of a given theme and bring in specific technologies, know-how and networks from the Japanese corporate world. This “co-creative” approach fosters UNDP engagement with the private sector through a bottom-up, experimental model to tackle development challenges.

Since 2020, the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan (CAO) – supported by the Japan Unit (JU) in New York - has strategically invested in the UNDP Accelerator Labs Network’s grassroots-driven approach as it combines real-time experimentation potential and distributed R&D for the Japanese private sector. 

To date, nine UNDP Accelerator Labs have teamed up with Japanese companies to co-develop, design and test potential solutions to various local problems. Depending on context and insights from initial experiments, each challenge leads to either a prototype or a proof of concept; sometimes it opens avenues to scaling opportunities and/or the inclusion into a bigger portfolio or business model.

Watch our feature video on the Japan SDGs Innovation Challenge in action:

Turning Seaweed into Opportunity: A Sustainable Future for South Africa

Off the coast of South Africa’s Western Cape, the greens and golds of seaweed hold more than just natural beauty—they hold opportunity. Through the Japan SDGs Innovation Challenge, the UNDP South Africa Accelerator Lab partnered with the Japanese Seaweed Resources Institute to explore seaweed’s potential as a livelihood opportunity for coastal communities. With over 900 native species and ideal growing conditions, seaweed cultivation requires no arable land, fresh water, or fertilizers—making it an accessible, eco-friendly solution. Community workshops revealed rich traditional knowledge, inspiring local entrepreneurs to develop seaweed-based products like salt, soap, and fertilizers. This collaboration highlights how innovation, cultural exchange, and community engagement can unlock sustainable economic growth while restoring respect for the sea and the environment.

Watch our feature video:
Outdoors, a person in a light blue shirt holds a clump of tangled dark seaweed.

How Zimbabwean Farmers Are Using AI and Drones to Outsmart the Quelea Bird Pest

For farmers in Zimbabwe, one of the toughest challenges they face is the quelea – a red-billed bird, endemic to Africa. It is the most populous bird in the world, only found in sub-Saharan Africa and it decimates grains such as rice, millets, sorghum and wheat. Many farmers catch the birds in nets, requiring them to work in the dark and put in labor-intensive hours that could be spent doing farm work. The UNDP Accelerator Labs experimented with ways to mitigate this problem through the Japan Sustainable Development Goals Innovation Challenge. Alongside Pegara, a Japanese start-up specializing in AI and automation, they explored a variety of ideas from using pesticides and predators to reflecting mirrors at the birds or using lasers to chase away the birds. However, working with the communities, they learned that sound is the best way to control them. Using AI-powered drones to emit unique sounds helps drive the birds away or into the nets, saving time and better protecting the crops. The birds can then be sold in the marketplace to provide protein for the community.

Watch our feature video:
Photograph shows three men by a field; a net spans it

Using Satellite Tech to Help the Philippines Fight Marine Plastic Pollution

Samal Island in the Philippines, known for its crystal-clear waters and vibrant marine biodiversity, faces an increasing threat from marine litter—endangering both the environment and local livelihoods dependent on tourism. A viable response for Samal started in Manila, where the UNDP Philippines Accelerator Lab, through the Japan SDGs Innovation Challenge, partnered with the Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation (JAMSS) to pilot a high-tech solution for the Pasig River. By using satellite remote sensing alongside citizen science, the project successfully identified sources and concentrations of plastic pollution, then compiled it into a dashboard accessible to community leaders and policymakers, enabling more effective, targeted interventions. The experiment was then replicated with Dr. Yuichi Ito of Alpha Space Design Lab, in Samal Island.

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Protecting Spice Farmers and Livelihoods in India with Blockchain

Empowered with financial support from the Japan Cabinet Office (JCO) and blockchain expertise from Japan's NEC Corporation, the UNDP India Accelerator Lab built a prototype for a blockchain-powered traceability platform for Indian spices. Data from over 1,000 chili and turmeric farmers from Andhra Pradesh state was uploaded to the eSpice Bazaar, the trading portal of Spices Board India and connected to the blockchain system.

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Prototyping a Solar Dryer to Reduce Energy Consumption and Food Waste in Malaysia

The UNDP Malaysia Accelerator Lab is worked with AGC Green-Tech to prototype a solar dryer for communal use that partially replaces conventional oven drying with solar drying. This has the benefit of reducing both energy consumption and food waste and can streamline the journey of agricultural products from communities to wider markets.

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