UNDP and Exponential Science Foundation Partner to Develop Government Blockchain Academy to Advance Public Sector Innovation

September 15, 2025 – Istanbul/London — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Exponential Science Foundation have announced a partnership to develop the Government Blockchain Academy – a new initiative designed to drive public sector innovation. The Academy will provide specialized education and implementation programs that harness blockchain, AI, and other emerging technologies to help governments drive transformative change.

The Academy aims to guide governments to find solutions to specific challenges across five main pillars, bridging the gap between education and implementation, culminating in deploying blockchain solutions to pressing development challenges.

Academy Pillars

• Inclusive Digital Finance: Advancing access to financial services through secure digital payment systems.
  
• Transparent Governance: Improving integrity and anti-corruption efforts through secure, tamper-resistant recordkeeping and digital transactions.
  
• Supply Chain Integrity: Supporting traceability and accountability in public procurement and logistics through decentralised verification.
  
• Climate Resilience: Applying blockchain-based smart contracts and digital tokens to facilitate transparent climate financing, including tracking carbon credits.
  
• Digital Identity Solutions: Providing individuals with trusted, verifiable digital credentials that enhance access to services.

The Government Blockchain Academy will officially launch its first country programs in 2026, with preparatory work, curriculum design and stakeholder engagement commencing in 2025. The formal announcement of the Government Blockchain Academy will take place during the TOKEN2049 in Singapore (1-2nd October 2025). As part of the unveiling, the initiative will host an industry roundtable, aimed at aligning protocol developers, infrastructure providers and gathering support for this global educational initiative.

“At UNDP, we are committed to institutional innovation, including creating spaces for governments to explore and test frontier technologies. The Government Blockchain Academy builds on this spirit, offering a pathway for countries to tackle complex development challenges in new ways and move from experimentation to implementation in ways that strengthen transparency, inclusion, and resilience,” Irena Cerovic, Innovation Team Leader, UNDP Europe and Central Asia.

“This is not just an educational initiative. It’s a collective blueprint for public innovation,” said Prof. Paolo Tasca, Executive Chairman of Exponential Science. “By bringing together diverse partners under one framework, we can ensure that governments have the tools and the talent they need to navigate the next wave of digital transformation.”

The Government Blockchain Academy will offer in-person workshops, online modules, and leadership forums tailored to public sector and local needs. Government participants will gain access to selected resources along with tailored incubation, expert advisory and guidance through their digital learning program.

Each government team will receive structured support—from use case identification and requirements development, to collaborating with Academy experts and industry partners—culminating in joint solution design workshops that align decision-makers and technical stakeholders to co-create scalable, high-impact blockchain initiatives that address national priorities.

The Government Blockchain Academy will function as a global hub, a space for dialogue, experimentation and learning, empowering officials to engage with frontier technologies and shape policies that reflect digital inclusion, security and sovereignty.