ITU's 160 anniversary

Committed to connecting the world

Innovation Café

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The ITU Innovation Café is a dynamic platform designed to foster co-creation, knowledge exchange, and collaborative problem-solving among key stakeholders in the digital innovation ecosystem, democratizing innovation as a process for development and digital transformation. 
As an initiative under the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development, the Innovation Café provides a structured, participatory environment where policymakers, industry leaders, academia, entrepreneurs, and innovators come together to share insights, explore challenges, and develop actionable solutions. 
The Innovation Café is a key initiative within the Digital Transformation Lab (DT Lab), part of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development. The DT Lab serves as a platform for co-creation and knowledge exchange, providing frameworks, methodologies, and technical assistance to help ITU Members strengthen local innovation ecosystems. ​

The Role of the Innovation Café in Digital Transformation

​In an era of rapid technological change, bridging gaps between different sectors and aligning resources is essential to building resilient, inclusive digital innovation ecosystems. The Innovation Café plays a pivotal role in democratising innovation, enabling ITU Members to leverage emerging technologies, ecosystem-driven approaches, and strategic partnerships to accelerate digital transformation. ​​

Objectives of the Innovation Café

As an extension of ITU's commitment to innovation, the Innovation Café is designed to leverage ITU's innovation methodologies, frameworks, and tools to apply structured ecosystem thinking and unlock new opportunities by: 

Facilitating Strategic Dialogues – Transforming ideas into tangible solutions through structured discussions and knowledge sharing. 

Enabling Knowledge Exchange – Promoting cross-sector, cross-border and cross-regional learning to enhance innovation impact and adoption. 

Strengthening Collaborative Partnerships – Building connections between governments, the private sector, academia, and innovators to drive collective action. ​​​

Key Events

​​March 2025: Workshop on Digital Transformation for the Pacific​
​3 Innovation Café were organised during the workshop on Digital Transformation for the Pacific in Fiji with RO-ASP to deep dive into:

  • Challenges and opportunities in the innovation landscape to leverage AI and IoT Opportunities in the Pacific
  • Taking a human-centric design approach towards Digital IDs to Accelerate Whole of Government
  • Partnerships needed to support Innovations to Sustain and Scale Smart Islands Initiative​
Learn more about this workshop and its key discussions here​