HR AND INNOVATION
In 2025, around 6 billion people were online globally, equaling almost 75 percent of
D igital transformation is reshaping the global economy at unprecedented speed. By 2030, the World Economic Forum estimates that structural changes will affect 22 percent of today’s jobs, creating approximately 170 million new roles while displacing 92 million for a net increase of 78 million jobs. At the same time, nearly 40 percent of the skills required at work are expected to change, while 59 percent of the global workforce will require reskilling or upskilling. Technology-related capabilities are at the center of this transition. AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, as well as technological literacy are among the fastest-growing skill areas globally. Yet the principal constraint identified by employers is not technology itself as 63 percent cite skills gaps as the biggest barrier to business transformation. These trends point to an important evolution in the global digital divide. According to the International Telecommunication Union, approximately 6 billion people, or almost 75 percent percent of the world’s population, were online in 2025, while 2.2 billion remained offline. As digital infrastructure continues to expand, the challenge increasingly extends beyond connectivity to whether institutions and workforces possess the capabilities needed to translate digital access into productivity gains, improved services and sustainable development outcomes. This reality is reflected in the OPEC Fund’s recently launched US$1.5 billion Digital Transformation Action Plan, which will guide investments in digital infrastructure, capabilities and applications through 2030. By elevating digital transformation as a cross-cutting priority alongside climate action and food security, the plan recognizes that development impact depends not only on access to technology, but also on the capacity to use it effectively. The digital divide is therefore no longer defined solely by who is connected and who is not. Increasingly, it is a capability divide, separating those who can adopt, adapt and apply technology to create economic and social value from those at risk of being left behind as technological change accelerates.
the world’s population.
Where the constraint is moving The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 provides a clear indication of the scale of this transition, with skills gaps identified as the leading barrier to business transformation, cited by 63 percent of employers surveyed globally. This suggests that the challenge of digital transformation extends beyond the availability of technology and infrastructure to the capabilities required to use them effectively. This distinction matters. Digital transformation is often approached primarily as a technology investment with new platforms, data infrastructure, automation, artificial intelligence and digital services. Yet technology alone does not improve processes or ensure that new systems are effectively integrated and applied. These outcomes also depend on the skills, institutional capabilities and operating frameworks needed to translate technological investment into measurable results. At its core, digital transformation is a capability-building journey. This dynamic is increasingly relevant across the sectors where development finance is most active.
in digital literacy. The implication is significant: successful digital transformation does not require every employee to become a technologist. It requires organizations to identify the capabilities needed at different levels, from foundational digital literacy to advanced technical expertise, and establish practical pathways through which those capabilities can be developed. Development challenges are also becoming more interconnected. Digital technologies increasingly support climate adaptation, agricultural productivity, financial inclusion, health systems, education and access to public services. Delivering results in these areas requires professionals who can bridge technology, policy, operations and sector expertise. Future progress will therefore depend not only on access to technology, but also on the ability to cultivate multidisciplinary expertise capable of translating digital opportunity into practical development solutions. The broader lesson is straightforward. Sustainable digital transformation is not achieved by technology alone. It occurs when infrastructure, people and institutions advance together. As technological change accelerates, the next phase of the digital development agenda will therefore be defined not only by who gains access to technology, but increasingly by who has the capability to turn that access into opportunity.
Building the right foundations Digital infrastructure remains
fundamental. As countries accelerate their digital transformation journeys, investment in infrastructure increasingly needs to be accompanied by investment
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