Bridging global and local innovation: Rethinking assistive technology in Nepal

In October 2025, we proudly co-chaired the AT2030 Frontiers Symposium, Inclusive Innovation in Action: Community-led Assistive Technology Solutions in Local Context, held in Kathmandu. The event was a collaboration between the Royal Academy of Engineering and GDI Hub's AT2030 Programme, in partnership with Kathmandu University. AT2030 is funded by UK International Development.

The gathering brought together engineers, therapists, doctors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and people with disabilities to explore how Nepal and countries with limited resources can harness inclusive innovation to strengthen access to assistive technology (AT). More than 60 participants from diverse backgrounds joined us to examine the opportunities, constraints, and creative pathways that lie between global expertise and local ingenuity. As co-chairs, we found the discussions deeply energising. Participants engaged with honesty, humility, and a shared readiness to collaborate. Across all sessions, the same message shone through: innovation is most powerful when it is shared, inclusive, and co-created.

We are delighted to share the full insights, commitments, and emerging ideas from the event - you can access the event report now. The theme Bridging Global and Local Innovation captured the spirit of the event: a call for a middle path where global collaboration is grounded in local creativity.

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