Information and Communication Technology | Digital

Digital Strategy 2030

Digital transformation can fuel economic growth, generate jobs, and promote inclusive and sustainable development. The CAREC Digital Strategy puts forth a collaborative approach to address social and economic challenges in the CAREC region by leveraging digital technology.

Vision & Mission

The CAREC Digital Strategy 2030’s vision is to create a common CAREC digital space which will lead to inclusive economic growth and social well-being, new jobs, including for the disadvantaged and minority populations of the region, better services, and higher regional competitiveness.

To achieve this vision, the CAREC Digital Strategy 2030 adopts the mission of creating a data-driven digital regional economy with fast and reliable online access to relevant information and trusted, real-time, user-friendly digital services for all citizens, businesses, and administrations across the CAREC region.

The CAREC Digital Strategy 2030 is guiding the region’s digital transformation, with an established steering committee and a work plan for 2023-2025 now in operation. In response to COVID-19 disruptions, CAREC has pivoted to virtual operations, revealing infrastructure gaps and instigating an evolution toward effective digital collaboration. 

Endorsed at the CAREC Ministerial Conference in 2021, the CAREC Digital Strategy 2030 provides the vision and roadmap to catalyze digital technology to address social and economic challenges through regional cooperation in the CAREC region. The CAREC Digital Strategy Steering Committee (DSSC) was established and its first meeting held on 25 October 2022, and second meeting on 19th April 2024, where the DSCC terms of reference and Digital Strategy Work Plan (2023-2025) were approved. As part of its communication, the strategy has been published on the  CAREC Digital Strategy Portal. 

The enormous potential of digital and information and communications technologies (ICTs) will help the CAREC member countries address the challenges posed by the COVID 19 and support economic revival under the CAREC Digital Strategy 2030 forthcoming. The ongoing TA project implemented by the CAREC Secretariat will accelerate economic growth and digital transformation in the region through several initiatives.  

Five Interconnected Pillars

To achieve the objectives, the CAREC Digital Strategy 2030 will strengthen the following five interconnected pillars by way of improved cooperation between CAREC member countries.

Pillar 1

Digital Economy Leadership, Governance, and Investment

Pillar 2

Digital Policy Enablers and Safeguards

Pillar 3

Digital Infrastructure, Resilience and Platforms

Pillar 4

Digital Skills and Competencies

Pillar 5

Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and ICT Competitiveness

CAREC Startup Ecosystem Development Hub

The Hub aims to foster innovation and digital solutions to support regional collaboration in CAREC countries. It offers training and support to various stakeholders, such as government officials, financial entities, start-up ecosystem support organizations, and educational institutions. Additionally, the Hub will facilitate partnerships through events like investor meetups, promote cross-border dialogue among start-ups, and connect them with potential investors and funding opportunities. 

The CAREC Startup Map lists over 6,000 entities and is the largest regional database of startup ecosystem support organizations, such as accelerators and incubators in the CAREC region. The map includes the target audience of the CAREC Startup Ecosystem Development Hub working in various regional startup ecosystems and provides knowledge support to invigorate the ecosystem.

The CAREC Innovation Network (CIN) has more than 60 active members from the CAREC countries who work closely with the ongoing initiatives and contribute to regional collaboration through capacity-building workshops, networking events, and open innovation challenges. It supports the development of the regional startup ecosystem as part of implementing the CAREC Digital Strategy 2030.

The CAREC University Startup Competition is a competition that allows university students in the CAREC region to develop practical entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills through innovative ideas. This initiative encourages regional cooperation and cross-disciplinary collaboration among the universities and their students and is conducted under the open innovation challenge category.

The Business Angel Network is designed to connect startups with regional experts for local insights and market validation and to expand their networks for accelerated growth. It aims to strengthen the local funding ecosystem, promoting entrepreneurship and investment culture within the region. Additionally, the network supports ecosystem development through collaboration and resource exchange and enables investment syndication by pooling resources with other investors for more substantial funding opportunities.