The rapid expansion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are resulting in an increasingly connected world, where developing countries have the opportunity to leapfrog development stages by directly adopting new and cleaner technologies. Despite the rapid development in access to ICTs, many countries still lack skills, resources and strategies for further investments in digital infrastructure and for progressing in the transition towards digital societies. While investments in infrastructure are often driven by the private sector, public spending and development co-operation fill important gaps where the private sector lacks incentives to intervene. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development acknowledged the importance of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for development and established new international mechanisms to help strengthen developing countries’ STI capacity towards the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such the creation of the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science Technology and Innovation for the SDGs that convenes once a year under the auspices of the President of ECOSOC (see Resolution 70/1 of the United Nations General Assembly).