Seven new ideas using frontier tech to solve global challenges
An update from the Frontier Tech Hub
During our 10th call for applications, the Frontier Tech Hub team received 106 creative, innovative ideas from prospective FCDO pioneers in 38 countries.
After a competitive process, we are delighted to announce the successful applications and the diverse ideas they will make a reality. This new cohort brings together seven ambitious pilots that demonstrate how frontier technologies are being reimagined to address some of the world’s most complex and sensitive challenges.
From Tanzania and the Sahel to Ukraine, Mexico, and Southeast Asia, the cohort reflects a drive to design and harness tools for the fragile systems, low-connectivity environments, and real institutional constraints that need innovative solutions more than ever.
Three trends in this cohort:
Access with last-mile realism.
These ideas are shaped by the realities of where systems struggle most. AI will be harnessed alongside basic phones, translation devices will be made offline, and telemedicine models will be embedded in public services. These projects are built for constraints like unreliable infrastructure, low bandwidth, and politically sensitive settings, optimised for both the last mile and for the inevitable moments when existing systems fail.
AI as a multiplier, not an authority.
The maturing frontier tech landscape is reflected in a clear ethical thread runs through the cohort. The world has learned to prioritise accountability, trust, and public value over automation for its own sake. From forensic identification and investment screening to legal guidance and healthcare, these solutions are designed to surface patterns faster, reduce cognitive or emotional burden, and strengthen frontline decision-making with human oversight intact. In other words, AI is used to support, not replace, human judgment.
Human-centred risk reduction
Several pilots are focused on actively reducing harm or its impacts. Whether sparing families repeated exposure to distressing images, reducing the risks of seeking healthcare or justice, or minimising stigma in highly sensitive contexts, these pilots are treating psychological and social impact as core design constraints. They recognise that how technology is experienced can matter as much as the results it delivers.
Meet the new FCDO Pioneers
This cohort joins an already expansive portfolio of 108 pilots, now spanning 44 countries. Explore each of their pilot profiles below.
How to follow along as these pilots carry out real-world experimentation
For almost a decade, this RED-funded programme has enabled pioneering FCDO staff to test the potential of frontier technologies to solve critical global challenges whilst generating evidence about what works. As with our entire portfolio, we’re anticipating taingible, useful insights from each, whether they fail or scale.
You can follow individual updates on each pilot’s profile page in our pilot portfolio.
Join the Frontier Tech Hub Network to receive monthly thematic newsletters and invitations to our event series to hear from Pioneers and partners about their work.
Follow the Frontier Tech Hub on LinkedIn, where we share weekly updates and stories from pilots on the ground.
