From October 8 to 10, 2025, the 8th Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Community (G-STIC)  Conference was held in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. Centered on the theme “Science, Technology and Innovation for a Sustainable Future,” the conference is hosted jointly by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) in Belgium alongside nine international research institutions, including the Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences (GIEC). It brought together representatives from global political, business, and academic circles to explore how technological advancement can drive the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. South Africa's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, delivered a video address. A total of 2,000 representatives participated both online and offline.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Blade Nzimande emphasized that no single nation can tackle the complex global challenges we face alone, noting that this conference presents a unique opportunity for the international community to strengthen collective action. “Now more than ever, we must mobilize scholars across all fields to develop practical solutions for sustainable development,” he stressed, adding that it is imperative to ensure science and technology serve the public interest and contribute to building a more equitable and sustainable global order.

As one of the co-hosts, GIEC led the planning and organization of three energy-themed sessions, encompassing the Energy Plenary Session, the Geothermal Energy Deep-Dive Session, and the Biomass Energy Deep-Dive Session. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including technological innovation and collaborative system development within the context of energy transition, as well as the deep integration of global expertise with local African needs, actively advancing regional cooperation and sustainable development. Chinese enterprises and institutions based in South Africa, including POWERCHINA, State Grid Corporation of China, and China Development Bank, actively participated in the conference, demonstrating the shared commitment of Chinese enterprises to advancing technological innovation and industrial cooperation. Prof. LYU Jiancheng, director general of the GIEC, emphasized the vast potential for China-Africa cooperation in energy transition. He expressed hope that this conference would serve as a starting point to effectively align China's advanced experience and applicable technologies in new energy sectors like wind and solar power with the practical development needs of South Africa and other African nations, thereby providing forward-looking and actionable implementation pathways for Africa's clean energy transition.

This year's G-STIC Conference was held on the African continent for the first time. It aims to thoroughly explore the unique potential and practical challenges the African countries face in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, providing critical technological support and cooperative pathways to accelerate clean energy deployment and implement these goals across Africa. The conference also serves as a vital platform for deepening cooperation between Chinese and African institutions and enterprises in areas such as green and low-carbon development.

Since becoming a co-host in 2019, GIEC has consistently engaged in the institutional development of  G-STIC. Leveraging this platform, it actively showcases China's innovative achievements in clean energy, continuously expands its international cooperation network, and contributes Chinese wisdom and solutions to global science and technology governance.

Group photo of speakers and the GIEC team at the Energy Plenary Session.(Image by GIEC)

Prof. CAI Guotian, Prof. WANG Peng, Assoc.Prof. QIU Yishu, Postdoctoral Fellow Qasir Iqbal, and Prof. LIN Yan from GIEC, attended the energy sessions.(Image by GIEC)