The world is facing several challenges including population growth, environmental degradation, conflicts, health related challenges and increased poverty, especially in developing countries. But the use and application of innovation tools and concepts for development is very limited. One of the components of transformational development is the use of digital technologies. However, such opportunities have not been used in most developing countries to translate challenges into economic opportunities. Addressing current and future development challenges will require a new set of skills, critical thinkers and development oriented human resources that will use technologies as a vehicle for short- and long-term solutions. Furthermore, the knowledge exchange enhanced through this PhD programme is the new mantra in the current university-industry discourse. As universities are encouraged to contribute to the national development agenda through production and distribution of new knowledge, the need for linking up with industry cannot be over-emphasised. The programme will therefore produce experts to contribute to the understanding of the influence of government and interest groups in making collective developmental decisions, and the role of innovations in advancing performance of different forms of policy interventions in different contexts.

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