Portfolio
Addresses knowledge gaps in greening digital and greening with digital, in partnership with external stakeholders, supports dissemination of knowledge resources as well as training programs, and supports efforts to mainstream green digital investments, track climate co-benefits and ensure Paris Agreement alignment. Through key deliverables such as case studies, operational guidance, and an e-waste toolkit, the engagement provides World Bank task teams and client countries with the needed resources to implement resilient digital infrastructure, adopt climate-focused regulatory practices, and manage environmental impacts.
Support knowledge generation and capacity building around the interlinkages between energy and digital sectors, namely: (i) synergies between last mile energy service delivery and connectivity access; (ii) energy needs for data infrastructure, including the use of renewable energy; and (iii) infrastructure sharing between the digital and energy sectors. By producing a good practice toolkit with case studies and practical guidelines, the engagement aims to address barriers to joint project implementation and provide actionable insights for advancing integrated energy and digital solutions.
Supports the preparation and publishing of a report generating novel evidence on how digital transformation is affecting labor markets and changing skills requirements in low- and middle-income countries. The report will also highlight policy trends, debates, and insights on how to develop digital skills, create digital jobs, while managing the negative labor market impacts of digital transformation and AI.
Supports the 2025 Global Digital Summit, a key annual event brining together World Bank clients, partners and relevant stakeholders together for the purposes of knowledge sharing, knowledge exchange and bilateral meetings to advance the digitalization agenda and facilitate policy dialogue on critical issues in digital transformation.
Facilitates the generation of knowledge and capacity needed to incorporate AI into the fabric of digital transformation of a given country through analytics, operational toolkits, and dissemination activities, ultimately supporting World Bank teams and client countries leverage the potential of AI. This engagement is expected to not only support government adoption of AI but also to stimulate local innovation and mitigate risks associated with AI technologies.
Supports the consolidation of existing knowledge and experience in the area of ICT industry development, digital skills development, and digital job creation. The engagement identifies best practices, develops foundational analytics and knowledge products to enable World Bank project teams to implement and scale solutions that work, and support client countries with just-in-time technical assistance. This is expected to contribute towards ICT industry growth resulting in a stronger supply of relevant digital services and content as well as a digitally literate population able to create demand for digital content and services.
Supports analytics and practical tools for decision-makers and World Bank teams to design and implement country engagements aimed at increasing cloud adoption and developing cloud and data center markets. These activities analyze public-private sector collaboration modalities, examining strengths, weaknesses, and context-appropriateness of different deployment models. They also assess the impact of government restrictions on cross-border data flows, which are critical for aggregating demand for cloud services and fostering cloud and data center market development. Additionally, the global engagement facilitates dissemination of best practices through webinars, knowledge exchange, and technical assistance to regional teams.
Offers training and capacity development to policymakers and development practitioners to help with the design and implementation of their digital transformation journeys. The engagement supports two pilot academy programs, in EAP and MENA, draws lessons learned, and aims to develop the longer-term Digital Academy strategy. It also provides technical support to develop a strategic plan and business model for the development of the longer-term Digital Academy program, which will serve as the Digital Academy Program Strategy.
Enhances global knowledge and operational capacity by supporting essential elements of the Broadband Toolkit, including updated regulatory toolkits in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), practical guidance notes for broadband project planning, and technical support tools. These efforts aim to support policymakers, regulators, and task teams in improving broadband access through evidence-based approaches, fostering partnerships, and providing actionable resources to guide broadband policy and operational decisions.
Supported the inaugural World Bank Global Digital Summit, held on March 4-7, 2024, in Washington DC. This was the first ever Global Summit organized by the World Bank that included WBG staff, DDP client countries and stakeholders, and partners from the public and private sector focusing on digital transformation. The Summit showcased cutting-edge thinking, technology, and practical insights on a wide range of digital topics, with a focus on following three overarching themes: (1) Connect: Shaping a Decade of Digital Inclusion: Access, Affordability, and Internet for All; (2) Innovate: Doing Digital Faster, Smarter, and Safer; and (3) Transform: A World Transformed: Key Scenarios for Our Digital Future. The Summit was attended by 510 in-person participants in total and featured over 100 speakers throughout the 21 sessions. Twelve breakout sessions attracted over 2,000 virtual participants in total.
This global engagement facilitates the establishment of a comprehensive framework for the World Bank Group’s operational engagements in digital data infrastructure and aims to develop (i) an AI Strategy Development Framework built on a methodology guiding countries in formulating their AI strategies, and (ii) a quantitative and qualitative analysis of several national governments to assess practices and policies for hosting government data.
The report addressed the analytical gap in data and cloud infrastructure in low and middle-income countries, contributing to informing both policy and investment lending on the World Bank side and equity and loan investments on the IFC side. The report analyzes the key drivers of cloud and data infrastructure growth in emerging markets, as well as business models, policies, and regulatory environments shaping the market trends as data from firms and markets migrate to the cloud. It also explores the challenges that low-and middle-income economies face in attracting investments in data centers and the cloud.
Provided tailored support to address challenges and harness opportunities at the nexus of digital technologies and climate change through analytical work and support to World Bank operational engagements. Such engagement 'greened' digital projects by contributing to the knowledge base, creating awareness, and supporting project design and implementation related to climate-resilient digital infrastructure, reducing GHG emissions from digital infrastructure, and leveraging digital technologies for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The Digital Progress and Trends Report series tracks global digitalization progress and highlight policy trends, debates, and implications for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The series adds to the global efforts to study the progress and trends of digitalization in two main ways: (1) by compiling, curating, and analyzing data from diverse sources to present a comprehensive picture of digitalization in LMICs, including in-depth analyses on understudied topics, and (2) by developing insights on policy opportunities, challenges, and debates and reflecting the perspectives of various stakeholders and the World Bank’s operational experiences. This 2023 edition is the first in the series, aims to inform evidence-based policy making and motivate action among internal and external audiences and stakeholders.
This engagement supports the second edition of the Digital Progress and Trends Report series. The report will track global, regional, and country-specific progress on three key digital transformation pillars: digital infrastructure, digital sector development, and digital adoption. It will also build on the AI chapter of the first report's edition and investigate the trends in AI innovation and deployment across countries, industries, application domains, the key drivers and enablers, as well as the nascent impacts of AI applications. It will offer fresh evidence and insights on how low- and middle-income countries can address the barriers for AI deployment and innovation, maximize the benefits from AI while mitigating the risks.
The Database aims to enhance the accessibility, usability, quality, and coordination of data collection and diagnostics on digital transformation, creating a strong evidence base for digital development initiatives. This effort aims to contribute to a global knowledge public good, supporting research and informed decision-making in the digital economy and digital transformation.
