WRCO, UNIDO, UNCTAD, ODET, ITU and UNDCO launch Global Call for Sustainable Industrial AI-Powered Solutions
New global call to identify and showcase deployable AI-powered industrial solutions from developing and middle-income economies, culminating at the AIM Global Action Forum 2026.
Beijing, 7 October 2026, The World Robot Cooperation Organization, together with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) today announce the launch of the Global Call for Sustainable Industrial AI-Powered Solutions.
Carried out in collaboration with members of the Global Digital Compact Objective 2 Working Group and the Global Alliance on AI for Industry and Manufacturing (AIM Global), the Call builds on the Global Call for Solutions for an Inclusive Digital Economy launched in July 2025, which drew close to 700 submissions from around the world. The new edition carries this joint approach forward from identification to demonstration, with a focus on AI-powered industrial transformation.
The Call is open to solution providers of all sizes and types — from startups and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to established technology companies, research organizations and international and regional organizations — whose AI-powered solutions address real industrial needs in developing and middle-income economies. Solutions will be considered in three categories by maturity — Flagship Solutions deployed at scale, Deployable Solutions ready for pilot deployment in new geographies, and Emerging Innovations — across five thematic tracks: embodied AI, industrial robotics and smart manufacturing; industrial AI models and intelligent decision-making; industrial digital infrastructure and data ecosystems; AI for green, resilient and sustainable industry; and industrial ecosystem enablers covering finance, skills and market access. Dedicated visibility is given to MSMEs, startups and women- and youth-led enterprises; to least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States; and to solutions designed for settings with limited connectivity.
Selected solutions will be showcased at the AIM Global Action Forum 2026 at the Vienna International Centre on 25 and 26 November. Selected providers will benefit from exhibition space in the “Future of AI for Industry” exhibition, solution talks and workshop sessions, dedicated matchmaking and lasting integration into the AIM Global solutions repository and the Centres of Excellence network. Applications will be evaluated by a review panel bringing together UNIDO, WRCO and other co-issuing partner organizations and external technical experts.
Key dates
· Call opens: 7 October 2026
· Submission deadline: 9 November 2026
· Evaluation and selection: 9–17 November 2026
· Selected solutions announced and showcased: AIM Global Action Forum, 25–26 November 2026, Vienna
Solution providers from all regions can apply through a single online form, designed to be completed in approximately 30 minutes, at link below:
Together, the co-issuing partners invite innovators worldwide to demonstrate that AI can work for all industries — powering inclusive, sustainable industrial transformation where it matters most.
About the The Global Digital Compact
The Global Digital Compact, adopted by world leaders as part of the Pact for the Future on 22 September 2024, provides a shared framework for international digital cooperation and the governance of artificial intelligence. Objective 2 commits the international community to “expand inclusion in and benefits from the digital economy for all”. This Call contributes directly to its implementation, and, by showcasing trustworthy, deployable AI solutions for developing and middle-income economies, also advances Objective 5, the commitment to “enhance international governance of artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.
