Digital Innovation—Key to Unlocking Sustainable Development

• By Dr. Cosmas Zavazava, Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau, International Telecommunications Union.

   

We need fresh, bold ideas if we are to attain sustainable development for all. It is clear that the "business as usual" approach is not working and will not work, and time is running out. 

Digital tools have the potential to accelerate human progress, but those who are not online are most at risk of being left behind. And until they are connected, they won’t be part of today’s digital and knowledge society. According to the latest International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data, 5.4 billion people use the Internet worldwide. That means 2.6 billion people remain offline, unable to benefit from digital innovation or its potential uses. The gap between the digital haves and have-nots is further widened by the rapid evolution of technology. 

There is a need for innovative thinking. This is key to unlocking new possibilities, enabling individuals and organizations to find creative solutions to complex problems, and driving sustainable growth.  

So, how can digital innovation support sustainable development, especially in the countries and regions where the digital divide is most severe? 

Digital innovation can help bring more people online in a way that contributes to advancing sustainable development and digital transformation. The design and development of low-cost technologies and devices that are accessible to all people will be a game changer. And there are already many examples of innovative, human-centric digital solutions around the world. 

The digital transformation of communities helps to fulfil national development ambitions.  

In a remote village in Pakistan, a ninth-grade student can now study science subjects through online classes thanks to the “Smart Village” project implemented by ITU. “We never had this opportunity in the past”, the student said, regarding her digital access. 

Another example is the “Be He@lthy, Be Mobile” project, jointly implemented by ITU and the World Health Organization, which made possible the use of digital messages for targeted education on myopia—a leading cause of vision impairment projected to impact 3.36 billion people by 2030—and its prevention. 

In Papua New Guinea, Joseph, a farmer and teacher, attended digital skills and e-commerce training sessions organized by ITU and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Inspired by the courses, he set up an e-marketplace to sell his crop of choice, turmeric. 

In Burundi, Ethiopia and Haiti, ITU and the Enhanced Integrated Framework launched a cooperative project to enhance the digital ecosystem and build digital skills for the economic empowerment of women. One of the young women who benefited from the project told me, “You digitalized my business, and now I am participating at both the New York and Cape Town fashion fairs. My business is booming”. 

ITU works to close the digital innovation divide—where technology is changing faster than policy can adapt—and transform countries into thriving and competitive digital economies. We do this in partnership with our 193 member States, more than 1,000 companies, organizations and research institutions participating as ITU sector members, and a growing array of other stakeholders. Cooperation is in our DNA.  

The 2022 World Telecommunication Development Conference adopted Resolution 90, which highlights the importance of fostering tech-centric entrepreneurship and digital innovation ecosystems for sustainable digital development. This support is vital to creating a thriving environment for entrepreneurship and digital innovation that helps achieve all 17 SDGs. 

At ITU, we focus on the development of recommendations to support national policies for start-ups, digital innovation and digital transformation, as well as capacity-building workshops and the ITU Academy—the main online gateway to ITU capacity-development activities. 

I have been working tirelessly on this important mandate, recognizing that innovation and entrepreneurship are the backbone of our member States’ economies, and that they offer a unique opportunity to accelerate progress towards an equitable digital future.  

In January 2023, in one of my first acts as Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, I launched the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development, with the mission to bridge the digital innovation divide, increase innovation capacities, and forge and promote forward-thinking approaches to scaling up digital innovation for development. This marked a significant step in enhancing the capability of our member States to adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape—especially developing countries. 

The Innovation Alliance promises to strengthen international knowledge exchange and make South-South and North-South cooperation on digital innovation a reality. Through the Alliance, we have established 17 ITU Acceleration Centres around the world to serve all countries by providing a platform for policy experimentation, research and open technology innovation, scaling up innovation, driving entrepreneurship for economic growth and igniting creativity and talent.  

As part of the same initiative, we established the Digital Innovation Board, composed of prominent personalities with broad experience in digital innovation. Serving in their personal capacity, they provide strategic guidance, expertise and advocacy to help build critical local enablers and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development.  

Last year, in New Delhi, India, I inaugurated the ITU Global Innovation Centre, which serves as a gateway for regional best practices in innovation and promoting technology and sustainable development in South Asia. 

Our series of national Digital Innovation Profiles offers strategies and recommendations for accelerating digital transformation, helping governments gain a clearer understanding of the digital ecosystem in their countries to foster innovation and translate the results offered by innovation into meaningful benefits for citizens. 

One of the side events at our Global Symposium for Regulators, to be held from 1 to 4  July in Uganda, will provide young innovators a unique opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions and projects.  

As we mark World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on 17 May, this year’s theme of “Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development” underlines the need to keep digital innovation at the heart of sustainable development ambitions worldwide. There is no better time to emphasize the importance of digital innovation. Building a sustainable future demands innovative thinking and action, especially in the digital world. 

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2024 is a chance to discuss how digital innovation can help connect everyone and unlock sustainable prosperity for all. It is also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that connectivity is universal, meaningful and affordable for all, with a view to making sustainable digital transformation a global reality.

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