UNU-MERIT is the UN’s institute for comprehensive innovation: a research and training institute that mobilises knowledge, education and policy to unlock the full potential of comprehensive innovation for sustainable development.
The United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) is a research and training institute of the United Nations University (UNU) which collaborates closely with Maastricht University. UNU-MERIT aims to advance societal policy and innovation research, provide education and mobilise knowledge to unlock innovation's full potential for achieving inclusive sustainable development. The research agenda of UNU-MERIT on ‘Comprehensive Innovation for Sustainable Development’ (CI4SD) focuses on the interconnected risks and opportunities of innovation as they relate to climate change, digital transformation, poverty and inequality, migration and population, and the future of work.
Dedicated units further reinforce our research agenda by focusing on the economics of innovation and the governance and public policy of innovation. Further, UNU-MERIT comprises a Graduate School hosting around 80 PhD candidates (both full-time and part-time), around 100 Master’s students, and numerous participants in our capacity-building courses, held onsite and across the Global South.
Download our Strategic Plan for 2021-2025 here.