NDB Seminars in 2026 Annual Meeting

Synopsis

In recent decades, developing countries have achieved significant progress, with improvements in citizens’ well-being, infrastructure, and human capital. However, today many of these countries face a “growth ceiling.” It is one thing to move from the group of low-income countries to the middle-income category, but quite another to enter the group of high-income countries per capita. To make such a qualitative leap, it is critically necessary to have a strong industrial base, innovation, and highly developed human capital. These tasks are interconnected: without the development of industry and technological expertise, it is difficult to ensure the sustainable reproduction and growth of human capital quality.

In the 2020s, two new factors have been added to these challenges: the high-tech energy transition and the revolution in artificial intelligence (AI). Breakthroughs are also expected in biotechnology, robotics, virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR), and space economy. Over the past decade, MDBs’ investment priorities have noticeably shifted from industrial and agricultural projects toward renewable energy. However, developing countries still need support to deepen processing, develop technologically advanced infrastructure, and modernize the social sector. What can MDBs do in the current context to respond even more effectively to the demands of developing economies?