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The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Investment and Technology Promotion Office Korea (ITPO Korea) has officially launched the ‘Global Call 2024’ to recognize and award companies with innovative technologies in the rapidly evolving food technology sector. 

• Theme: FOODTECH Innovation and ISID*: Nourishing the Future 

* ISID: As UNIDO's mission, it means Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development

UNIDO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes sustainable industrial development in developing countries. With a global presence, UNIDO operates 10 ITPOs in 8 countries worldwide to facilitate investment and technology transfer between developed and developing nations. 

• Key Milestones

• -Application Period: Until July 31, 2024 (Wed) - Online submission through Global Call 2024 website (www.globalcall2024.org)

• -Award Ceremony: November 21^, 2024 (Thu), Coex, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 

The award ceremony will be held concurrently with the World FoodTech Expo and Korea Food Show scheduled from November 20-23, 2024. 

Celebrating its fifth year, Global Call is UNIDO’s flagship annual awarding event where companies with innovative solutions to global challenges are recognized and awarded. Over the past four years, the event has been held in Italy (2020 Rome), Germany (2021 Bonn), and China (2022 Shanghai and 2023 Beijing), with different themes each year. This year, UNIDO ITPO Korea selected the theme to reflect the rapid growth of the foodtech industry, leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, robotics, and 3D printing. Notably, foodtech was introduced as a global top-five technology trend at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022 and remained a central theme at CES 2023 and 2024, underscoring its significance.

Companies with innovative food technologies are expected to contribute to overcoming challenges facing the global food system, including food insecurity, food waste, and environmental pollution. As foodtech is a new technology field encompassing the entire supply chain from production, manufacturing, distribution, to consumption of food, which is the basis of human survival, its impact on developing countries, including resolving food insecurity, environmental protection, and fostering new growth engines, is expected to be profound. 

This year’s Global Call event is part of UNIDO’s efforts to raise international awareness on foodtech, promote technological advancement, and subsequently support the establishment of sustainable global food system and contribute to the development of developing countries by awarding companies with innovative technologies in the foodtech industry.

Global Call 2024, themed ‘FOODTECH Innovation and ISID: Nourishing the Future’, will be divided into four categories: Production, Manufacturing/Processing, Distribution/Delivery, and Consumption. All companies possessing innovative technologies in foodtech are eligible to apply. Interested parties should submit their application on the Global Call 2024 website (www.globalcall2024.org) no later than July 31^st. 

UNIDO will award a total of 10-15 companies, including the UNIDO Director-General’s Award, through experts evaluation based on the following criteria: innovativeness, competitiveness, sustainability, possibility of expansion into different regions, and expected occupational return from the submitted applications.

Award-winning companies will enjoy various benefits including global promotion via UNIDO and media outlets, networking opportunities at UNIDO events, support for participation in UNIDO’s related projects, and participation in the UNIDO booth and idea pitching during the World FoodTech Expo (2024.11.20-23) in Seoul.