Developing countries cannot view the digital transition as a luxury, but as a necessity if cities and countries wish to be a part of the new global economy. To support this transition governments, donors and the private sector each have a role to play, and key actions for each stakeholder group are set out in the ICED report ‘Urbanisation in a digital world’.
In addition to stakeholder-focused recommendations for donors, policymakers and investors, a step change in how cities approach digital innovation is needed, as outlined in this paper. This will require collaborative innovation and the following four recommendations were viewed by authors as key to unlocking a future of continuous innovation at city-level.