What G-STIC does

G-STIC (Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Community) is a Belgium-based non-profit convening platform established in 2017 by VITO NV, the Belgian government-affiliated research and technology organization for cleantech and sustainable development. Hosted jointly by 18 independent non-profit research and technology organizations (RTOs) from 16 countries, G-STIC accelerates implementation of technological solutions for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by connecting entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, investors, and industry leaders. The platform operates four pillars: the annual G-STIC Conference (international gathering of up to 4,200+ participants), the Climate Action Programme including the Flanders International Climate Action Programme (VIKAP), an Expert Stories content library and podcast, and active participation in policy fora including COP, the UN STI Forum, and CSTD.

The underlying technology is primarily a coordination and content-publishing platform rather than a proprietary technology product. G-STIC maintains a living library of integrated technological solutions and an SDG assessment framework for benchmarking technologies against SDG targets. The digital surface includes the gstic.org website, a newsletter, the Sustainable Technology and Innovation Podcast on Spotify, and an online exhibition ("Habitat: Embracing change"). No commercial API, SDK, or mobile application is offered. Core IP is institutional rather than technological: the 18-RTO co-hosting coalition, the conference brand, and the curated stakeholder network.

G-STIC operates as a non-profit and does not disclose revenue or pursue venture funding. Its economic model rests on three pillars: conference registrations, sponsorships, and co-hosting contributions for the annual G-STIC Conference; coordination of the Government of Flanders-funded VIKAP, which has deployed over €50 million across 70+ climate projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America; and grants or in-kind support from its 18 co-hosting RTOs. The primary "customers" are participants (innovators, policymakers, investors) and ecosystem partners (RTOs, NGOs, SMEs, corporate actors), with the Government of Flanders serving as the principal programmatic funder.

Name

G-STIC

Legal name

G-STIC (Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Community)

Website

https://gstic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

G-STIC is a Belgium-based non-profit convening platform, established by VITO NV and co-hosted by 18 research and technology organizations from 16 countries, that accelerates deployment of sustainable technology solutions for the SDGs through an annual conference, the VIKAP climate finance programme (€50M+ deployed), expert content, and policy fora participation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Research and Innovation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH)

Keywords

• Sustainable technology community
• Climate finance programme
• SDG technology assessment
• Innovation conference platform
• Cleantech research network

Headquarters

HQ city

Mol

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Conference and Event Operations: G-STIC generates value through hosting large-scale international conferences that convene stakeholders across science, policy, finance, and innovation sectors. Revenue is derived from conference registrations, sponsorships, and partnerships with co-hosting research organizations.
2. VIKAP Programme Coordination: G-STIC coordinates the Flanders International Climate Action Programme (VIKAP), acting as international broker to match Flemish innovators with partners in the Global South. VIKAP has funded over 70 projects with investment exceeding €50 million across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

G-STIC is a non-profit community platform that accelerates the implementation of technological solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It operates an annual international conference series, coordinates the Flanders International Climate Action Programme (VIKAP) for climate finance to the Global South, curates expert stories and podcasts, and participates in international policy fora such as STI Forum, COP, and CSTD to connect researchers, policymakers, investors, and innovators.

Product overview

G-STIC (Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Community) is a collaborative platform co-hosted by 18 independent non-profit research and technology organizations from 16 countries. The organization accelerates implementation of technological solutions for the SDGs through four core pillars: the Annual G-STIC Conference (international gathering for market-ready sustainable technologies), the Climate Action Programme including VIKAP (Flanders International Climate Action Programme funding climate projects in the Global South), Expert Stories (living library of expert perspectives and podcast), and Policy Fora (participation in STI Forum, COP conferences, and CSTD). The annual conference series has grown from 1,000 participants in 2017 to over 11,000 total participants across all conferences, while VIKAP has funded over 70 projects with investments exceeding €50 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• G-STIC Conference: Annual flagship conference focused on technological innovations for the SDGs
• Climate Action Programme
• Expert Stories
• Policy Fora

Products and services

• Annual G-STIC Conference Annual international conference bringing together entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, policymakers, investors, and social actors to discuss market-ready technological innovations for the SDGs. The conference explores approaches and strategies to scale up and accelerate deployment of sustainable solutions.
• Climate Action Programme (VIKAP) Flanders International Climate Action Programme supporting high-impact climate projects in the Global South through demonstration projects and dissemination/capacity-building projects funded via annual competitive calls, matching Flemish innovators with local partners.
• Expert Stories Living library of expert stories showcasing innovative ideas, technological solutions, and visionary perspectives from sustainability experts worldwide, including a sustainable technology and innovation podcast featuring five stories from leading experts on Spotify.
• Policy Fora Active participation in international policy forums including the UN STI Forum, COP conferences (COP27-COP30), and the CSTD intergovernmental forum, engaging policymakers to share technological solutions and accelerate SDG implementation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70+ climate projects funded through VIKAP with €50M+ investment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VITOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVITO is the prime research and technology organisation on cleantech and sustainable development in Belgium. It serves as the primary host organization for G-STIC, managing the website and providing operational infrastructure. VITO is responsible for data protection and privacy compliance for G-STIC operations.
• ACTS (African Centre for Technology Studies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACTS is one of 18 co-hosting research and technology organizations that collectively form the G-STIC network, providing expertise in technology studies from an African perspective.
• C2MI (MiQro Innovation Collaboration Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerC2MI is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing to the G-STIC network with innovation collaboration expertise from Canada.
• CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSIR from South Africa co-hosted the 8th G-STIC Conference in Pretoria (2025) as part of CSIR@80 anniversary. Represents one of the 18 core RTO partners in the G-STIC network.
• Fiocruz (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiocruz from Brazil co-hosted the 6th G-STIC Conference in Rio de Janeiro (2023). Active contributor to G-STIC policy fora including STI Forum discussions on health technologies and vaccines.
• Fraunhofer IVVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFraunhofer IVV (Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung) from Germany is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs in the G-STIC network, contributing process engineering expertise.
• GIEC (Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIEC from China is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing energy conversion expertise to the G-STIC network.
• GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIST from South Korea is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs in the G-STIC network, providing science and technology research expertise.
• HUNRE (Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHUNRE from Vietnam is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing environmental and natural resources expertise to the G-STIC network.
• IRESEN (Institut de Recherche en Énergie Solaire et Énergies Nouvelles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRESEN from Morocco is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing solar and renewable energy research expertise to the G-STIC network.
• JITRI (Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJITRI from China is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing industrial technology research expertise to the G-STIC network.
• K-water (Korean Water Research Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-water from South Korea is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing water research expertise to the G-STIC network.
• LuqiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuqia from Canada is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs in the G-STIC network.
• SINTEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSINTEF (Stiftelsen for industriell og teknisk forskning) from Norway is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing industrial and technical research expertise to the G-STIC network.
• TECNALIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTECNALIA (Fundación TECNALIA Research & Innovation) from Spain is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing research and innovation expertise to the G-STIC network.
• TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTERI from India is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing energy and resources expertise to the G-STIC network. TERI leadership actively participates in G-STIC events including COP forums.
• ZRDC (Zambia Research and Development Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZRDC from Zambia is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing African research and development expertise to the G-STIC network.
• INDT (Instituto de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerINDT from Brazil is one of 18 co-hosting RTOs contributing technological development expertise to the G-STIC network.
• VIKAP Partners (NGOs, SMEs, Research Institutions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVIKAP brings together Flemish companies, NGOs, research institutes and public organisations with partners in the Global South. Key partners include VVOB, Flanders Red Cross, Abalobi, GreenMatter, Rikolto, Plan International, Nazka Mapps, BOSAQ, Jan De Nul, VITO, and KU Leuven.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: C40 is a global network of city mayors collaborating on climate action. It shares G-STIC's convening-platform model for driving technology deployment and policy alignment, with comparable multilateral influence on sustainability outcomes.
• GlobeScan: GlobeScan is a sustainability research and insights consultancy that convenes multi-stakeholder collaborations such as the Climate Action Tracker and the Regeneration Roadmap. Its research-plus-convening model closely parallels G-STIC's Expert Stories and policy fora pillars.
• Sustainable Brands: Sustainable Brands runs a global conference series and community focused on brand and business innovation for sustainability. It competes with G-STIC for sustainability-focused audiences and sponsors across geographies.
• Climate Bonds Initiative: Climate Bonds Initiative convenes investors, governments, and project developers to mobilize climate finance and develop standards for green investments. Its climate-finance coordination role mirrors G-STIC's VIKAP programme, although its focus is on capital markets rather than project deployment.
• WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development): WBCSD convenes CEOs and sustainability leaders from major multinationals to advance SDG-aligned business transformation. Like G-STIC, it operates a multi-pillar convening and knowledge model linking industry with policy and SDG deployment.
• GreenBiz Group: GreenBiz operates events (GreenBiz Forum, VERGE), research, and a media platform focused on sustainable business and clean technology. Its event-and-content model is closely comparable to G-STIC's conference and Expert Stories pillars.
• Forum for the Future: Forum for the Future is an independent non-profit working with business, government, and civil society on systems change for sustainability. It mirrors G-STIC's convening and thought-leadership role, with a comparable focus on systems thinking and SDG alignment.
• Race to Zero / UN High-Level Climate Champions: Race to Zero is a UN-backed global campaign mobilizing non-state actors (cities, businesses, investors, regions) to halve emissions by 2030. Like G-STIC's VIKAP, it operates as a broker between technology providers, financiers, and policymakers to accelerate climate action.

Broad incumbents

• World Economic Forum: WEF is the largest global multi-stakeholder convening platform for sustainability, climate, and economic issues. It overlaps directly with G-STIC in convening policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers around technology for sustainable development, but operates at far greater scale and scope.
• UNFCCC (United Nations Climate Change): UNFCCC is the UN body that hosts the COP climate conferences and convenes member-state negotiators on climate policy. G-STIC actively participates at COP side events, making UNFCCC both a partner and a much larger incumbent convening authority in the same policy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GSTICseries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about G-STIC