The Building Capabilities in the Asia Pacific (BCAP) project by the APNIC Foundation focuses on strengthening digital skills and supporting a more inclusive Internet ecosystem across 30 economies in the region. It builds on the Foundation's earlier initiatives like Switch! (in 6 South East Asian economies) and Digital Leap South Asia, bringing their key learnings together into one more focused and scalable program.
The main goal of BCAP is to support 300 Internet professionals, network operators, and local communities by improving their technical skills in areas such as network operations, cybersecurity, and tech support.
The project aims to help strengthen local capacity, improve knowledge sharing, and support more reliable and resilient Internet systems and to creates opportunities for people from underserved communities to participate more actively in the digital space.
Overall, BCAP is about putting people at the center of digital development—helping build skills, confidence, and long-term impact across the Asia Pacific region.

https://apnic.foundation/building-capabilities-in-the-asia-pacific/

• Asia and Pacific

• Youth
• Women
• Remote and rural communities
• Internet professionals and network operators, Technical community (including NOGs and IXPs), Early- to mid-career researchers and fellows

This project is built to scale. Its model is simple, flexible, and easy to adapt—making it highly replicable in other regions facing similar digital skill gaps.
At its core, BCAP includes self-learning. These elements can be quickly tailored to local needs and delivered through partnerships with the relevant stakeholders. It does not rely on heavy infrastructure, which makes it practical to implement even in resource-constrained environments.
Because the approach is people-focused, it can be applied anywhere—across developing regions, emerging digital economies, and underserved communities. With the right local partners, this model can be replicated beyond Asia Pacific to build strong, self-sustaining digital ecosystems globally.

This project is designed to last.
Instead of short-term activities, BCAP invests in people—building real skills, confidence, and local expertise that stay within communities long after the project ends. Once trained, these individuals continue to grow, share knowledge, and strengthen their own ecosystems.
The project also works through strong local and regional partnerships, ensuring ownership is not external but embedded within the community. This creates a ripple effect—where impact continues to expand organically over time.
By continuously evolving and building on past initiatives, BCAP remains relevant and responsive to changing digital needs. The result is not just immediate impact, but a long-term, self-sustaining system that supports digital growth across the region.

The BCAP project closely aligns with the core values of WSIS, particularly around inclusion, capacity building, and meaningful participation in the digital world. At its heart, the project is about people—ensuring that individuals and communities have the skills and opportunities to actively take part in the Internet ecosystem. It promotes access to knowledge and help bridge digital divides across the Asia Pacific region. Inclusion has always been a key priority. Before BCAP, one of our earlier initiatives, Switch!, was specifically designed to support women and gender-diverse individuals in the tech and Internet space. BCAP builds on that foundation as an expanded and scaled-up program. While it is broader in scope, we continue to actively ensure strong participation from women and gender-diverse communities across all activities, making inclusion a consistent and intentional effort. The project also supports collaboration across stakeholders—bringing together technical communities, academia, and policymakers—reflecting the multi-stakeholder approach promoted by WSIS. Overall, BCAP contributes to a more inclusive, skilled, and connected digital society, in line with WSIS principles of people-centered and sustainable digital development.