Miguel Bello
Director
Ricardo Lapeira
Foresight & Ethics Lead
Daniela Montenegro
Design Researcher
Mauricio Franco
Researcher & Visual Designer
Juan Sebastián Sánchez
Strategic Designer
Our actions
Establish an international group of experts and community leaders.
We convene a diverse cohort of experts and community leaders to validate underhyped technologies in Sensors & IoT, Sustainable Energy, and Biotechnology—and turn insight into responsible adoption across the Global South.
Partners
Frontier Tech Hub, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Year
2025
Services
International research · Strategic design · Community design
The Global Brain Trust (GBT) was designed to assess the knowledge of those who live with technologies in their territories. We bring together technical and community voices to analyze the territorial relevance, scalability, and adaptability of underhyped technologies with high eco-social potential in Sensors & IoT, Sustainable Energy, and Biotechnology, guiding their responsible adoption in the Global South.
CHALLENGE
The technological debate ignores solutions with high territorial value when they do not fit into market logic. We needed to connect technical expertise with community perspectives to understand real uses, bottlenecks, and conditions for adoption in the Global South, avoiding extractive narratives and reinforcing community sovereignty.
APPROACH
Create an international group of representatives from communities in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as researchers, scientists, industry leaders, and professionals in the fields of sensors & IoT, sustainable energy, and biotechnology.
IMPACT
- Refined list of underhyped technologies and use cases with territorial relevance.
- Shared language and criteria for responsible adoption (territorial relevance, scalability, and adaptability).
- International network (communities + experts) to continue testing and scaling with an ethical approach.
What is the Global Brain Trust?
It is a space that brings together those who live and work with cutting-edge technologies or their adoption in communities; to question assumptions, understand risks/possibilities, and co-create paths for responsible adoption in real contexts.
- Community leaders from Asia and sub-Saharan Africa: they provide essential perspectives from the grassroots level, highlighting real-world challenges, local innovations, and relational worldviews.
- Professionals from three technological domains: sensors & IoT, sustainable energy, and biotechnology, who provide contextual knowledge about use cases, barriers to adoption, and scalability.
- Thematic experts: provide insights into the theoretical and technical aspects of designing and implementing these technologies.
The composition of the GBT balances territory and technique: grassroots leaders and scientific/industrial profiles from countries such as Singapore, Uganda, Botswana, Kenya, Pakistan, Nepal, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, India, the United Arab Emirates, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, South Africa, and Thailand.
“We have brilliant indigenous knowledge systems and, at the same time, we have adapted several technological ways to conserve the environment.”
— Jessica Kopo Enga (Botswana, member of the Global Brain Trust)
A total of 223 potential candidates were identified. From this group, 23 participants were selected to join the Global Brain Trust.
Political
Decentralized, people-centered governance allows communities to influence technology adoption, ensuring a balance of power and data transparency.
Environmental
Ensuring equitable access to safe drinking water remains the most pressing challenge for communities, with energy and air quality key interrelated priorities for sustainable well-being.
Social
Technologies that integrate local knowledge and respect cultural heritage encourage greater community participation and sustainable outcomes, ensuring that technological solutions truly improve local practices.
Technological
Rather than relying solely on the most advanced or underhyped technology, combining tools can effectively address real-world problems and overcome inherent limitations.
Economy
Alternative business models and self-sufficient local economies can empower communities to diversify and sustain economic growth beyond traditional sectors, driving local innovation and reducing dependence on mass production.
Legal
Clear and inclusive regulations are essential to protect communities, guarantee land use rights, data sovereignty, and the rights of nature, while preventing technology-driven exploitation.
The Global Brain Trust provided a dynamic framework for exploring diverse perspectives, enabling us to structure our primary research methods to capture both technical knowledge and community-driven experiences.
How we did it
01
Literature review
The Frontier Tech Hub mapped 142 technologies and filtered 31 according to level of attention and high potential.
02
Additional perspectives
Pluriversa applied UK technology strategy and post-development criteria to identify 20 technologies in Sensors & IoT, Energy, and Biotechnology.
03
Global Brain Trust Validation
Participatory sessions with the GBT validated and expanded the list; omitted innovations were added.
04
Sensemaking
We prioritize nine technologies based on relevance, adaptability, and synergies, with water and life as the main focuses.
“It’s not just about inviting people to join. It’s about recognising, investing in, supporting, and respecting what people are already doing”
— Andrew Stirling (United Kingdom, member of the Global Brain Trust)
Barriers to adopting frontier technologies in the territory include: costs; shortage of qualified personnel; dependence on international suppliers; incompatible data sets; insufficient understanding of local contexts; incipient regulatory frameworks; limited and costly access to water and energy; poverty and lack of opportunities; gender gaps; mismatch between real needs and technological solutions; digital colonialism that reduces local agency; and lack of sustained financing.
Activate your own Brain Trust
We turn collective intelligence into actionable strategy: we design communities, align stakeholders, prioritize high-impact initiatives, reduce risks with clear governance, and outline an emerging roadmap to scale what works in your territory.
Pluriversa team
This project was co-created by members of our Pluriversa Community:
We would also like to extend our gratitude to our partners and teammates:
- Dr. Becky Faith – FCDO
- Asad Rahman – Brink
- Bryony Nicholson -Brink
- Lil Patuck – Brink