2026
The ITU Regional Acceleration Center released its first foresight report to support the digital transformation of SMEs worldwide
A delegation from the BRICS Institute of Future Networks China Branch (BIFNC) traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan, to attend the ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25). During the conference, BIFNC, as the hosting institution of an ITU acceleration center, engaged in in-depth exchanges with members of acceleration centers around the world and successfully released "Empowering Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises to Harness the ICT Wave: A Foresight Report and Practice Exchange on ICT-Enabled SME Digital Transformation" (the "Foresight Report"). This report is the first major knowledge product led by a member institution since the launch of the ITU Acceleration Center Network, marking substantial progress in collaborative innovation and knowledge sharing across the network.
The Foresight Report was jointly authored by the BIFNC Regional Acceleration Center and the CAICT Global Acceleration Center. The report systematically applies the ITU strategic foresight methodology, carrying out a comprehensive scan across seven STEEPLE dimensions: social, technological, economic, environmental, political, legal, and ethical. It identifies the opportunities and challenges facing SME digital transformation, further pinpoints ten key drivers, outlines an ideal future scenario centered on an "inclusive digital era," and innovatively proposes a five-stage dynamic roadmap for moving from current barriers toward an inclusive future. This offers a clear strategic guide and action framework for policymakers, industry leaders, and SMEs worldwide. To support practical exchange, the report also includes 19 ICT-enabled solutions for SME digital transformation across six major fields.
The release of this major report received high praise and a strong response within the Acceleration Center Network. Representatives of member institutions commended the report for its forward-looking vision, systematic structure, and practical value, noting that it provides essential tools and ideas for supporting SMEs in joining and benefiting from the digital economy worldwide.
Senior ITU officials visited the BIFNC exhibition area during the conference.
During the exchanges, the BIFNC delegation clearly expressed its willingness to deepen cooperation. It stated that, building on the successful collaboration behind this report, it hopes to carry out broader and more practical cooperation with more acceleration center partners around the world in areas such as joint research reports, co-hosted international conferences, cross-border industrial resource matching, and SME digital transformation practices, jointly building a vibrant, mutually beneficial global digital innovation ecosystem.
The release of achievements and the exchanges conducted during WTDC-25 not only demonstrated the active contribution of the BIFNC Acceleration Center in knowledge production and international cooperation, but also set a model for the network's future collaborative development, signaling that global digital development cooperation is entering a deeper and more practical new stage.