Technological Revolution and New Driving Forces for Global Sustainable Development

Faced with grand challenges, such as COVID-19, climate change, biodiversity, etc., how can the 17 SDGs of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development be achieved? Can technological innovation help address these major challenges and contribute to global sustainable development? This paper focuses on three new ends: the first is the digital-technology-based business model-digital windows of opportunity. Using the development of short-form video platforms in both China and Bangladesh as research examples, three major areas of research findings are described. The second is the combination of technological innovation and social innovation. Technological innovation enables social innovation and greatly accelerates the process of partnership formation, facilitating the communication and management of partnerships. The third is looking at how technology can transform traditional industries, which is reflected in three main aspects: first, what is the impact of digitalization on the four modes of services trade: cross-border delivery, consumption abroad, commercial presence, and movement of natural persons; second, can trade in digitally deliverable services become another engine of economic development? Third, what opportunities arise from DDS for LDCs? Finally, the paper displays future research areas and directions: How can we guide and incentivize the direction of technological innovation toward sustainable and inclusive development? How do we develop holistic innovation, which combines social innovation and business model innovation with technological innovation, to tackle the grand challenges for sustainable development? What are the impacts of technology innovations on sustainable development (both negative and positive)? What are the enabling factors we need to harness abilities for sustainable development and the benefits of STI? How can we go beyond business as usual to help developing countries and communities build up their technology capabilities and infrastructure so that they are not left behind again in SDGs? What is the science of industrial policy, and how do we employ the right combination of the hands of the state and the market? What is the impact of the anti-globalization and geopolitical tension on global sustainable development? Moreover, what policy regulation and governance responses are needed for sustainable development?