Government of Malawi and UN Technology Bank to Officially Launch Malawi’s Technology Needs Assessment

Lilongwe, Malawi – 13 May 2026 – The Government of Malawi, in partnership with the UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries, officially launched Malawi’s Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) during a high-level event held at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe on 13 May 2026.

The event convened senior government officials, development partners, academia, private sector representatives, civil society organizations and the United Nations family in Malawi  to discuss the findings of this landmark and first-ever Technology Needs Assessment for Malawi.  The launch also explored strategic pathways for advancing science, technology and innovation in Malawi by identifying specific initiatives to give life to this pioneering work

The TNA provides a comprehensive overview of Malawi’s technological priorities, gaps and opportunities across key development sectors. Developed through a participatory and country-led process that began in 2024, the assessment supports evidence-based decision-making and aims to strengthen national capacities for sustainable development through innovation, technology transfer and enhanced institutional collaboration.

Speaking during the launch, Deodat Maharaj, Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank emphasized the importance of leveraging science, technology and innovation to advance a truly transformational agenda for Malawi. The Honorable Francis Foley, Deputy Minister, of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in his remarks emphasised the powerful value of the TNA in identifying core areas in the priority sectors of Agriculture, Mining and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) where tech and innovation can drive change and deliver results for Malawi.

The launch event featured presentations on the key findings of the report, discussions on potential project opportunities and strategic next steps, as well as the official unveiling of the TNA. The assessment identified four priority sectors for technological advancement: agriculture, energy, ICT, and mining. The findings highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral approaches, particularly the role of energy and ICT as enabling sectors for industrialization, digital transformation and sustainable economic growth.

The assessment is aligned with Malawi 2063, the country’s long-term development vision to become an inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialized upper-middle-income country. Discussions during the event also emphasized the importance of investing in human capital, STEM education, applied research, and stronger collaboration between academia, government and the private sector to ensure effective technology transfer and innovation uptake.

The UN Technology Bank further reaffirmed its commitment to continue working closely with the Government of Malawi and partners to identify concrete follow-up projects emerging from the TNA findings, with a focus on scalable, low-cost and high-impact technologies that can deliver results and advance a transformational agenda for the people of Malawi.

Event Details

Date: 13 May 2026

Time: 09:00 – 13:30

Venue : Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC), Lilongwe, Malawi

 The UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries was established by the United Nations General Assembly to support Least Developed Countries in strengthening their science, technology and innovation capacities for sustainable development.

Media Contact:

Ms. Elçin Torlak

Communications and Knowledge Management Expert

elcin.torlak@un.org