Sustainable development is a core principle of the Treaty on European Union and a priority objective for the Union's internal and external policies. The EU has committed to the global Agenda 2030 with its Sustainable Development Goals, which form a part of European Commission’s political priorities and are being integrated into all proposals, policies and strategies, with an ambition to achieve tangible progress.
 
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development established the TFM to support the application of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In this context, the Joint Research Centre (European Commission) started collaborating with the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Team (UN IATT) on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for SDGs, as part of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) and is currently member of the working group on STI for SDGs Roadmaps and of the working group on Capacity building on STI for SDGs.

In the framework of the STI for SDGs Roadmaps working group, the Global Pilot Programme on Science, Technology and Innovation for SDGs Roadmaps was launched in 2019 with an initial group of five pilot countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya and Serbia), to test and adjust the newly developed "Guidebook for the Preparation of STI for SDGs Roadmaps". In February 2021, Ukraine also joined the programme. JRC is leading the pilot activities based on Smart Specialisation methodology both in Serbia and Ukraine. In parallel, JRC is supporting the development of the STI for SDGs roadmap in the Czech Republic.
 
In the context of the elaboration of the Guidebook and the Global Pilot Programme, JRC has been collaborating with different UN Agencies such as UN-DESA, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNCTAD and the World Bank, together with other international partners such as the Government of Japan and the OECD. 

In 2021, the work of the UN Inter-Agency Task Team on STI for SDGs roadmaps, including the Global Pilot Programme and the Partnership in Action, has been acknowledged and praised in two United Nations General Assembly Resolution n. 76/213 and 75/316, highlighting the importance of expanding and fostering collaborations, as well as continuing to disseminate the advances and best practices in STI for SDGs.

With the aim of expanding the work and involve more countries in developing STI for SDGs roadmaps, the UN IATT workstream on STI for SDGs roadmaps has designed the Partnership in Action, which was promoted during the 2021 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development under the leadership of Serbia and Ghana. During the 2022 STI Forum, the Special event 3 on Supporting national capacities and the Partnership in Action for STI4SDG roadmaps was the occasion to call for more Member States to join the Partnership.

The Partnership in Action on STI for SDGs Roadmaps serves as a multi-stakeholder, informal group to generate support and advocate the implementation of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism, particularly as concerns the work on STI for SDGs Roadmap. Acknowledging the need to leverage technological innovation to address climate change and foster a sustainable, inclusive and equitable transition of economies, the initiative is designed with the aim of broadening international partnerships and secure the commitments and resources for the pilot projects and beyond. It aims to (I) build up national STI capabilities for the SDGs, including through COVID-19 recovery and the SDGs, (II) boost international knowledge and technology flows for the SDGs, and (III) broker international STI collaborations for the SDGs. 

Smart Specialisation is recognized as a leading approach to deliver desirable change in line with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations. More and more countries worldwide as well as international institutions have shown interest in the European experience with Smart Specialisation. Being Smart Specialisation increasingly acknowledged as a suitable method for the development of localised STI for SDGs roadmaps, in 2022, JRC launched together with DG INTPA a pilot project to adapt this methodology to the context of Sub-Saharan Africa.