THE Covid-19 pandemic has shown how fast new technologies can change the world. Scientists used vast computational power for genomic sequencing that tracked the virus as it mutated. Digital technology was key in modifying messenger RNA to create successful vaccines. Within a year of the virus’ formal identification at the end of 2019, several countries had launched population-wide vaccination campaigns, although many poorer countries struggled with limited access.
The SDGs target poverty, income inequality, education access and attainment, a more sustainable environment, and gender equality. Reaching the SDGs by 2030, as originally proposed, requires vast new investments by governments and the private sector. It is also evident that underlying the link between digital transformation and the SDGs is a recognition that technology has been at the heart of economic growth and broader human development for centuries.
Underlying the link between digital transformation and the SDGs is a recognition that technology has been at the heart of economic growth and broader human development for centuries. But less attention has been driven to how developing countries can adopt and use it most effectively. This paper is the first in a series of reports that will examine the role of technology in developing economies in reaching the SDGs and the challenges this poses.