The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Meeting SDG 9

This chapter analyses the fundamental concepts within Sustainable Development Goal 9’s (SDG 9’s) targets to explore in-depth the role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in supporting the industry in developing inclusive and sustainable industrialisation. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was constituted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2015, popularly known as Transforming Our World. This agenda provides a valuable global framework for U.N. member states to be used at national, regional and local levels to accomplish Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs). The Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9) promotes inclusive and sustainable industrial development. In particular, the essential concepts of resilient infrastructure, innovation, information and communications technologies and financial services are debated to understand their influence in promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation. SDG 9 aspires to accomplish a twofold mandate: sustainability and inclusion. Progress towards sustainable industrialisation has been relatively acceptable, although inconsistent with the initial targets. On the other hand, initiatives towards inclusive industrialisation are evolving into a political battlefield, making progress unlikely for industry leaders. In this context, HEIs have played a critical role in supporting and facilitating collaboration between researchers and practitioners to make the industry more responsive to society’s demands.