The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the United Arab Emirates, signed an agreement on 29 June 2020 to establish an International Centre of Digital Innovation, known as I-CoDI.
I-CoDI will help ITU Members, Sector Members, and other key stakeholders to integrate innovation into their national development agendas and activities. The Centre, to be based in Geneva, Switzerland, will also have a virtual component.
“Innovation is at the heart of the digital revolution and an essential part of the fabric of ITU,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “We welcome the decision by the TRA, a long-standing partner of ITU, to establish its future International Centre of Digital Innovation in Geneva. It will help catalyze efforts to turn today’s digital revolution into a development revolution for all.”
The I-CoDI design phase will be completed by the end of 2020. It builds on CoDI, the Centre of Digital Innovation (CoDI) launched by the UAE in 2013, as part of the UAE’s efforts in digital transformation and enhancing the digital journey of the UAE citizens and Government, through research, innovation, education, training, skills development, quality assurance, and advisory services.
At the 2014 World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-14), Member States mandated the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau to strengthen ITU membership capabilities to integrate ICT‑centric innovation in their national development agendas.
The objective is to promote a culture of innovation through enhanced partnership and a multi-stakeholder cooperation in a converged ICT ecosystem.
