World leaders discuss addressing the digital gap at Boao Forum
During the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025, a diverse group of policymakers, industry leaders, and experts gathered to discuss strategies aimed at closing the global digital divide. The session on Tuesday, titled "Enhancing Digital...
TroibNews 
During the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025, a diverse group of policymakers, industry leaders, and experts gathered to discuss strategies aimed at closing the global digital divide.
The session on Tuesday, titled "Enhancing Digital Capacity Building & Bridging Digital Divide," highlighted the importance of inclusive policies, public-private partnerships, and education-oriented solutions to guarantee equitable access to technology.
Former Finnish Prime Minister Esko Aho initiated the conversation by emphasizing the historical significance of collaboration between governments and the private sector in facilitating technological advancements. Drawing comparisons to the U.S. Apollo program, he pointed out that strategic investments in innovation—similar to those made during the Cold War space race—helped establish the current digital infrastructure.
Aho underlined that building human capacity is the most pressing challenge and urged for sustained educational reforms aimed at equipping populations with essential digital skills.
Svay Nakry, Cambodia's Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Commerce, detailed her nation’s five-pillar strategy to enhance digital inclusion. Key initiatives encompass subsidizing internet and cloud computing expenses for small businesses, improving broadband infrastructure, and launching e-commerce platforms like CambodiaTrade.org to connect local enterprises with global markets. She also emphasized the importance of supporting women-led businesses, indicating that 70 percent of Cambodia's SMEs are female-owned.
Iran's President of the Center for Progress and Development Sajjad Ahadzadeh shared various initiatives he is involved with, including tech parks, tax incentives for knowledge-based companies, and utilizing open-access AI projects such as DeepSeek. He advocated for the early incorporation of programming and AI literacy into educational curricula.
Throughout the session, panelists unanimously emphasized the necessity for international collaboration to navigate regulatory challenges, exchange best practices, and scale models that work.
As the session wrapped up, audience questions regarding AI in China emerged. The panelists collectively agreed that no single nation or organization can overcome the digital divide independently, highlighting the need for international ecosystems to ensure technology functions as a bridge to inclusive growth rather than a barrier.
Anna Muller contributed to this article for TROIB News
The session on Tuesday, titled "Enhancing Digital Capacity Building & Bridging Digital Divide," highlighted the importance of inclusive policies, public-private partnerships, and education-oriented solutions to guarantee equitable access to technology.
Former Finnish Prime Minister Esko Aho initiated the conversation by emphasizing the historical significance of collaboration between governments and the private sector in facilitating technological advancements. Drawing comparisons to the U.S. Apollo program, he pointed out that strategic investments in innovation—similar to those made during the Cold War space race—helped establish the current digital infrastructure.
Aho underlined that building human capacity is the most pressing challenge and urged for sustained educational reforms aimed at equipping populations with essential digital skills.
Svay Nakry, Cambodia's Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Commerce, detailed her nation’s five-pillar strategy to enhance digital inclusion. Key initiatives encompass subsidizing internet and cloud computing expenses for small businesses, improving broadband infrastructure, and launching e-commerce platforms like CambodiaTrade.org to connect local enterprises with global markets. She also emphasized the importance of supporting women-led businesses, indicating that 70 percent of Cambodia's SMEs are female-owned.
Iran's President of the Center for Progress and Development Sajjad Ahadzadeh shared various initiatives he is involved with, including tech parks, tax incentives for knowledge-based companies, and utilizing open-access AI projects such as DeepSeek. He advocated for the early incorporation of programming and AI literacy into educational curricula.
Throughout the session, panelists unanimously emphasized the necessity for international collaboration to navigate regulatory challenges, exchange best practices, and scale models that work.
As the session wrapped up, audience questions regarding AI in China emerged. The panelists collectively agreed that no single nation or organization can overcome the digital divide independently, highlighting the need for international ecosystems to ensure technology functions as a bridge to inclusive growth rather than a barrier.
Anna Muller contributed to this article for TROIB News
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