Country Case Studies
Country case studies are collated here.
A total of 15 case studies were reviewed across 11 countries and all regions of the Commonwealth. These cases provide information on implementation approaches across five policy areas elaborated in Section 8:
- Awareness
- Skills
- Extension services
- Technology financing
- Institutional framework
These include policy options that Commonwealth countries, including LDCs and SIDS, can implement in the short, medium and long term depending on their particular position in their digitalisation journey.
India: SAMARTH Udyog Bharat 4.0
The Smart Advanced Manufacturing and Rapid Transformation Hub was set up under the Enhancement of Competitiveness in Indian Capital Goods Sector scheme. It aims to promote the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in Indian manufacturing firms by 2025, through awareness programmes, experience and demonstration centres, skills’ training and industry–academia networks.
New Zealand: Industry 4.0 Demonstration Network
The Industry 4.0 Demonstration Network was set up in 2019 to drive the uptake of Industry 4.0 technologies among New Zealand manufacturers, with the aim of increasing their productivity and global competitiveness. Through directly demonstrating the improvements and value that the use of robotics, automation, data analytics and AI can bring, the Network seeks to encourage businesses to adopt and use these technologies to realise productivity gains.
Trinidad & Tobago: Get Safe Online
Get Safe Online in Trinidad and Tobago is a resource dedicated to protecting families and business from online harms. This is part of another 11 Internet Safety websites launched in the Caribbean in 2019 by Get Safe Online, a UK non-profit organisation. Get Safe Online has a presence in 23 countries around the world.
Bangladesh: Skills and Employment Programme
The Skills and Employment Programme Bangladesh (Sudokkho) was set up to enhance private-sector skills’ training for the poor, particularly women, young people and disadvantaged populations, to help them gain decent employment (for poverty-eradication objectives) and to stimulate further investment in training by trainees, private training providers and employers.
Rwanda: African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things
The African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACEIoT) was established in 2017 at the University of Rwanda to address the shortage of professionals and researchers in the field of the Internet of things (IoT). ACEIoT aims to: (i) build a critical mass of African scientists and engineers in IoT through higher education and research, and (ii) set up an IoT living lab in Rwanda for open innovation and co-creation of IoT4D.
Mauritius: Internal Capability Development Scheme (ICDS)
The Internal Capability Development Scheme (ICDS), created in 2020 along with four other programmes, seeks to help SMEs improve their value chain efficiency, responsiveness to customer requirements and market dynamics, and competitiveness through professional and technical input.
Singapore: Productivity Solutions Grant
The Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) was launched in 2018 to assist businesses in their transformation journey. The maximum funding support level was raised to 80% (previously 70%) from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2022 to encourage enterprises to continue their digitalisation and productivity upgrading efforts.
South Africa: Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII)
The Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII) was reintroduced in 2015 (first launched in 1993) to promote technology development in South Africa’s industry, through the provision of financial assistance for the development of innovative products and/or processes.
Jamaica: National Cybersecurity Framework
The adoption of digital technologies creates new opportunities, as well as challenges. As more devices, machines and networks are connected, companies and governments face new security vulnerabilities. Key elements of a sound national cyber-security model include: a national cyber-security strategy, incident response, legal frameworks, adherence to standards, skills’ development and a resilient infrastructure.
Malaysia: Industry4WRD Framework
Industry4WRD is a national policy launched in 2018 that aims to transform Malaysia’s manufacturing sector and related services. Industry4WRD was launched in response to the need for a more streamlined and cohesive national agenda under which different manufacturing initiatives and organisations could be integrated.