Co-Creation with the Private Sector

One of the core actions in JICA’s Digital Transformation (DX) Vision is "promoting co-creation that drives innovation." JICA places strong emphasis on collaborating with a wide range of partners to integrate cutting-edge technologies and innovative approaches into its projects. As development challenges in partner countries grow increasingly complex, co-creating solutions with the private sector - by drawing on their technologies, expertise, and business models -has become a powerful and effective means of driving sustainable growth and solving pressing social issues.

JICA approaches private-sector collaboration in digital transformation through various forms. Beyond traditional contracting, co-creation approaches include private sector engagement (PSE), service deployment and scaling on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), and early-stage participation in the design and development of DPI and Digital Public Goods (DPGs). These partnerships are designed not as one-off collaborations, but with the intent to connect to local systems and institutions, ensuring long-term sustainability.

JICA has partnered with digital stakeholders across a wide range of sectors and geographies. In 2023, JICA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc, and Sumitomo Corporation. This partnership supports the Ethiopian government's national ICT strategy, "Digital Ethiopia 2025," by promoting digital transformation across sectors such as telecommunications, education, and administrative services.

In India, JICA is working with the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, metro operators, and bus companies to develop and expand the "Transport Stack" - a data exchange platform for urban mobility. The platform integrates multimodal transport data from metro systems, buses, railways, micromobility, and EV charging stations. By standardizing data exchange via open APIs and common protocols, the platform enables private-sector providers to deliver innovative, interoperable mobility services. Transport Stack is fostering a virtuous cycle: enabling the private sector to access and use rich mobility data to offer new services, optimize operations, and alleviate congestion. It is evolving into a full-fledged ecosystem where public and private actors co-create value, and is expected to expand to additional cities in India and beyond.

JICA remains committed to exploring diverse and impactful forms of co-creation with private-sector digital partners. These efforts go beyond simply adopting technology - they drive meaningful transformation in service delivery, the optimization of digital public infrastructure and goods, and the creation of new business opportunities. For JICA, private-sector co-creation represents a new and inclusive model of development cooperation - a forward-looking approach to generating societal impact through the combined strengths of technology and expertise.
Explore past and ongoing co-creation projects with digital partners at JICA DXLab [here].