About – Centre d'innovation numérique en gestion durable (CING-D)

INTRODUCTION

The Digital Innovation Foundation (DIF) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-profit organization (NPO) incorporated in Quebec. It is led by university professors and primarily involves academics in scientific research and experimental development (SR&ED) projects focused on applied research. As the organization is still emerging, its legal status has been formalized, and the number of volunteers is growing. As its first funded project, the team proposes to help countries most in need of digital adoption. Among the most interesting and given the interest of our university colleagues and partners in the country, Madagascar is inviting us to create a Center for Digital Innovation Sustainable Management (CDIS-M), in French Centre d’innovation numérique en gestion durable (CING-D), in an emerging region, Analanjirofo, more precisely in Nosy Boraha, Commune of Sainte-Marie.

DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES

Problem Statement

The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and digital innovation is transforming most socio-economic sectors. The ability of countries to address this challenge depends primarily on the quality of their universities, which train the next generation of innovative talent, promote digital entrepreneurship, and, above all, co-develop and transfer innovations with private and public sector organizations.

The world’s poorest countries are currently the least likely to have this capacity, but we must act immediately to prevent them from being the last to adopt them. Moreover, since their universities are starting with fewer resources, these countries must be prioritized so that their universities quickly catch up to at least average capacity among countries in the same Human Development Index (HDI) ranking.

Furthermore, digital innovation is insufficiently focused on sustainable management, as too many companies market expensive energy innovations, requiring overly expensive and connected equipment, and not focused on local needs. Organizations also lack the capacity to co-develop digital innovations to strengthen sectors best suited to sustainable development, e.g., ecotourism, aquaculture, etc. Many innovation opportunities remain without investment, whether by the public or private sectors.

Situation

Madagascar is one of the most interesting countries for digital innovation in sustainable management. The need for ICT adoption is among the most urgent in the world, but given the delay, there is an opportunity to establish a native digital innovation model in this country. With little development to date, the door is open to shifting investment priorities toward sustainable management sectors, rather than just traditional ones. Its rich biodiversity and a culture seeking change at all levels make Madagascar a society ready to invest in this national digital transformation.

The urgency to act is certain, according to the main reports of international organizations. In 2024, the UNDP of the United Nations ranked Madagascar among the 15 countries out of 193 with the lowest HDI [1] (see bibliographic references on the last page). The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), having published in 2025 the update of its Inclusive Growth Index (ICI) for the year 2023, shows that Madagascar ranks 106th ^among134 countries, thus having among the lowest inclusive performances [2].

In terms of digital development, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), having published its ICT Development Index in 2024, ranked Madagascar among the 5 countries with the least digital resources [3]. In 2023, the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI) of the e-Governance Academy Foundation (eGA) ranked Madagascar 143rd ^fordigital security [4]. The Network Readiness Index (NRI) ranked Madagascar 125th ^outof 133 measured [5]. UNCTAD ranked Madagascar in 2020 among the 17 countries with the lowest digital trade readiness index [6]. Finally, the World Bank in 2019 assessed the level of digital competitiveness, and confirmed that the main obstacles lie in the digital skills of the population and the entrepreneurial talents to launch native solutions in the country [7, pp.69-79].

Challenges

With its low levels of human, inclusive, and digital development, Madagascar faces major challenges related to gender equality (gender gaps, inequalities, and barriers), human rights, and environmental sustainability. Because it allows everyone to be reached equally, and above all, gives every citizen the ability to engage in the digital economy, digital innovation in sustainable management is one of the most conducive ways to simultaneously overcome all these challenges, and at the local level for the country’s priority sectors.

SOLUTION

Assignment

The creation of the new Center for Digital Innovation Sustainable Management (CDIS-M), as an international development project within the Digital Innovation Foundation (DIF), makes it possible to meet local needs in Madagascar, for a pilot region, Nosy Boraha.

The ultimate goals of CDIS-M are research, teaching and inclusiveness:

Applied research on digital innovation in sustainable management, enhancing the teaching capacity of partner universities, and promoting joint research between Canada and Madagascar, especially through the co-development of local innovation projects involving international expertise and resources, and also research training through graduate study programs at the master and doctoral levels.
Technical and vocational education and training (TVET), at a “bridge” level between post-baccalaureate and pre-university, focused on digital innovation, serving young high school graduates or those about to graduate on the island of Nosy Boraha who want to specialize in sustainable management, whose training hours will allow them to achieve a level conducive to admission to university programs in Analanjirofo.
Ensure equitable, inclusive and sustainable digital development by prioritizing the defense of gender equality, women’s rights, as well as education to overcome discrimination and equal access to skills in digital innovation and sustainable management.

Goals

In the logical framework, the objectives of the CDIS-M are intermediate objectives to achieve the ultimate objectives identified previously:

1. Research :

Fund joint research projects between partner universities, ensuring the presence of professors at international conferences.
Enhance the teaching and research capacity of partner universities in the region, using Nosy Boraha as a place for internships and international expertise.
Contribute to local organizations through innovative and open digital solutions.
Lend basic digital infrastructure (e.g., servers, networks) to the Municipality and organizations free of charge, which can help them test the solutions and use them in production during the solution appropriation and launch phase.

2. Teaching:

Train young people for free for jobs using cutting-edge digital technology in business.
Transferring digital skills in sustainable management in key sectors of Nosy Boraha.
Prepare young people for admission to university studies, constituting local cohorts that will continue to contribute to the economy, eventually opening a new campus for Analanjirofo University.
Create local businesses distinguished by digital entrepreneurship with international partnerships and possibly attract foreign investment.

3. Inclusivity:

Address issues of representativeness and inclusivity in research and teaching activities, whether through specific objectives to assess gender equality in access to digital resources, or by prioritizing women’s rights to acquire digital skills, or digital entrepreneurship among women.
Promoting inclusivity for all stakeholders in society, while providing a place in digital communities without discrimination, and thus fostering greater equity in digital human rights.
Ensure inclusive governance of digital innovation projects in sustainable management, especially by promoting gender equality in CDIS-M projects and committees.

Actions

To achieve these objectives, the following actions are planned, focused on measurable results at monthly frequency, and thus able to be improved at any time:

Applied research projects, jointly between partner universities in Canada and Madagascar, and delivery of 2nd and 3rd cycle programs ^toenhance ^theteaching and scientific capacity of partner universities.
Free short-term training courses (from one day to one week), in small face-to-face groups of 10-20, with a teacher holding a university degree in a discipline of digital innovation and/or sustainable management.
Configuration and management of facilities, digital tools, and activities to ensure the principles of inclusivity in all facets: platforms, communications, content, dashboards, internet of things, drones, sensors, data science, etc.

Areas of expertise

The areas of application of digital innovation in sustainable management target, according to the needs identified by our partners in Madagascar, priority sectors for Nosy Boraha, offering skills covering part of the L1 degree level training already offered by the University of Analanjirofo and/or the University of Toamasina, partners of the CDIS-M:

Ecotourism (Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism)
Aquaculture (Bachelor’s Degree in Agronomy)
Forestry (Bachelor’s degree in agronomy – agro-management option)
Cooperatives (Bachelor’s degree in economics)
Planning (Bachelor’s degree in geography)
Health (Paramedic License)
Education and Culture (Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology)
Governance (Bachelor’s degree in law – public law option)

Partner universities allow the Center to hire their professors as temporary staff and agree to then recognize these training hours as acquired credits, recognized for subsequent admission to related university degrees.

Local organizations assist universities by hosting interns in L3 or M2, under the coordination of the Center, who will then be paired with local young people in TVET courses, to jointly carry out skills transfer projects in organizations, exposing them to university studies and digital innovations in sustainable management.

REFERENCES