How do we move from a good idea to something that actually works and makes a difference?
This is the central question driving the UNCDF-SINTEF Webinar Series 2026, a five-part conversation exploring solutions through the lenses of finance, policy, cooperation, culture, and technology.
Each webinar will run for one hour on the first Wednesday of every month from February to June 2026, featuring two consistent hosts – one from SINTEF and one from UNCDF – who will guide the discussion.
Up to three expert guests will share insights before joining a panel conversation, followed by audience questions.
Webinar 2: Rebuilding in Crisis: Strategies for Recovery and Resilience – 11 March
In fragile and crisis‑affected settings, destruction of homes, services, and local systems leaves millions without security or stability.
Rebuilding cannot wait for full peace or recovery; it must begin while crises are ongoing and conditions remain uncertain. Effective reconstruction therefore requires strategies designed for complexity – combining immediate response with medium‑term rebuilding and long‑term resilience.
The goal is not only to repair damage, but to create safer, more climate‑resilient and socially cohesive communities that can withstand future shocks. This approach demands new standards, innovative partnerships, and solutions tailored to the realities on the ground.
By embedding resilience into every stage of recovery, countries and communities can rebuild stronger, even in the midst of ongoing fragility.
Webinar 3: Adapting for Impact: Building Climate-Resilient Communities – 8 April
Climate adaptation and preparedness are essential for reducing vulnerability to increasingly frequent and severe climate-related shocks.
Many communities lack the infrastructure, technology, and institutional capacity needed to anticipate and respond effectively to these risks. Building resilience requires integrated approaches that combine scientific research, innovative technologies, and policy frameworks to strengthen ecosystems, protect livelihoods, and safeguard critical infrastructure.
Current efforts are often fragmented, with environmental planning, disaster risk management, and economic development treated as separate domains.
To achieve systemic impact, we need large-scale partnerships and consortia that align public and private actors, academia, and civil society to implement holistic strategies.
Such collaboration can enable early warning systems, nature-based solutions, and adaptive governance models that reduce risk, protect biodiversity, and support sustainable development across vulnerable regions.
Webinar 4: Resilient Food Systems: Innovating Across the Value Chain – 6 May
Food value chains are critical for ensuring food security, reducing waste, and supporting sustainable economic growth.
Yet inefficiencies in storage, transportation, and market access lead to significant post-harvest losses, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Cold storage solutions play a pivotal role in preserving food quality, extending shelf life, and enabling farmers to access broader markets. However, scaling these solutions requires integrated approaches that connect research, private sector innovation, and public policy.
Current efforts are often fragmented, with agriculture, logistics, and technology actors working in isolation. To achieve systemic impact, we need large-scale partnerships and consortia that strengthen entire value chains while simultaneously building local capacity, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks.
Such collaboration can unlock new economic opportunities, improve nutrition, and foster resilient food systems across regions.
Webinar 5: Scaling What Works: Turning Pilots into Policy Impact – 3 June
Scaling successful pilot projects into national policies remains one of the greatest challenges in development and innovation.
While pilots often demonstrate strong results in controlled environments, they frequently fail to transition into systemic change due to fragmented governance, limited financing, and lack of institutional capacity.
Moving from pilot to policy requires integrated approaches that align evidence-based results with regulatory frameworks, budgetary planning, and political priorities.
Current efforts are often siloed, with research institutions, implementing agencies, and policymakers working independently. To achieve large-scale impact, we need collaborative mechanisms that bring together governments, private sector actors, academia, and civil society to co-design scalable models.
Such partnerships can ensure that proven solutions are embedded in legislation, supported by sustainable financing, and adapted to local contexts – transforming isolated successes into long-term, inclusive development outcomes.
Innovating Together: New Models for Global Cooperation on Technology
This first webinar is already held. It tackles the technology implementation gap between high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries.
This gap means that many nations in the Global South miss out on technologies that could address critical challenges in food production, climate resilience, biodiversity, and industrial processes.
Adapting and implementing relevant technologies can do more than solve crises – it can reduce poverty, create jobs, strengthen education systems, and boost local tax revenues.
Yet, mechanisms for cross-regional collaboration remain scarce. Too many siloed initiatives separate academia, civil society, and the private sector, limiting large-scale innovation.
Norway, with its credibility in development assistance and global geopolitics, can play a pivotal role in promoting new mechanisms and fostering collaboration.
This webinar explores how a Technology Impact Fund could bridge these gaps, build local innovation capacity, and enable consortia that work across value chains and regulatory frameworks.
A unique opportunity
This series offers a unique opportunity to learn from global experts and explore practical solutions for some of today’s most pressing challenges.
Join us one Wednesday a month from February to June 2026!
