1、1#31 SEPTEMBER 2025Policy MonitorInvestmentThe investment dimension of digital strategiesPolicy MonitorInvestment#31 SEPTEMBER 2025HIGHLIGHTS Adoption of digital strategies is accelerating,but gaps persist in their integration with other policies.By 2024,86 per cent of developing countries and 80 pe

2、r cent of least developed countries(LDCs)had a national digital strategy,up from under 50 per cent and 25 per cent in 2017.Although recent strategies are more comprehensive,many lack alignment with broader development,investment,industrial and environmental policies.The investment promotion dimensio

3、n remains limited.Many strategies address enabling conditions,such as regulatory frameworks and infrastructure,but explicit investment targets and promotion measures are rare:fewer than half mention foreign direct investment(FDI),and only 20 per cent refer to investment promotion agencies(IPAs).Envi

4、ronmental sustainability is insufficiently embedded.Despite the growing environmental footprint of the digital economyincluding energy use,emissions,water consumption and electronic wasteonly 55 per cent of developing countries strategies mention environmental sustainability,often in broad terms.Thi

5、s is notable given its growing importance for investment decisions,particularly in sectors such as data centres and semiconductors.Sector-and technology-specific strategies are scarce.Strategies for artificial intelligence(AI),data centres and semiconductors can boost investment attraction by clarif

6、ying priorities,regulatory needs and,in some cases,sustainability standards,thus offering concrete tools to mobilize investment.However,their adoption remains limited,particularly in developing countries.Regional digital strategies differ in investment focus and national uptake.These frameworks prom