The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has selected Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) to be among 17 World Acceleration Centres from around the world.
The selection means that Macra will join ITU new flagship Network of Acceleration Centers – one of the primary vehicles of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development.
According to a press statement from ITU, the Acceleration Centers will drive digital transformation through a unique ecosystem-thinking approach, and enhance capabilities to boost innovation, entrepreneurship, and the digitalization of economies.
The Centers will deliver on the objectives of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development to help countries build critical local enablers to bridge the digital innovation gap and empower ITU membership to overcome challenges in navigating our changing digital environment.
“The Network of Acceleration Centers will equip countries to take well-thought out and concrete action to unlock innovation for sustainable digital transformation,” Cosmas Zavazava, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT).
He said: “I look forward to working with the selected Centers. They will help stakeholders to innovate and develop new, more resilient, and forward-thinking approaches to navigate today’s digital world and build our digital future.”
The Network will enhance national, regional, and global innovation capabilities for technology, policy, and flagship initiative development.
Each Acceleration Center will focus on up to five strategic objectives including Trends research readiness – Enables stakeholders to be ahead of the curve and make sense of the evolution of technology, policy, and innovation dynamics, Open technology innovation – Harnesses technological know-how into global goods through open innovation and multistakeholder mechanisms, accelerating access to emerging technology for all.
Furthermore, Entrepreneurship and SMEs growth – Accelerates the uptake of digital innovation-driven entrepreneurship and opportunities for talent to achieve socio-economic inclusion in their communities.
Policy experimentation – Develops agile policies that provide stakeholders with safe space for experimentation, encouraging innovation and attracting investment in the digital ecosystem.
As well as Ecosystem initiatives acceleration – Promotes collaboration and synergies that scale digital innovations and achieve cross-cutting sectoral value for a competitive digital economy.
Zavazava said by helping to bridge the Digital Innovation Divide, the selected Centers will support ITU’s development priorities and empower ITU’s members to overcome challenges on their path through digital transformation.
