Sung Nam Choi is a professional in IT projects for development. Before joining IDB Invest, he worked as a principal manager in the National Information Society Agency (NIA) of the Republic of Korea. He led IT projects for developing countries such as national digital agenda, broadband masterplan, e-government systems & applications, and digital inclusion policy. In addition, he conducted IT advisory services and managed IT training programs collaborating with international organizations like International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), Asian Development Bank (ADB), African Development Bank (AfDB), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Furthermore, he has 7 years of field experience in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. He launched the first virtual Spanish IT education platform (CEABAD, https://ceabad.com/, located in Nicaragua) for policymakers, experts, and college students in Latin America. He coordinated over 30 MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) including digital business, e-commerce, Fintech, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain technology through this platform. He also served as the representative of the Office of KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency) in Costa Rica. He studied a Ph.D. in Public Administration at Korea University, earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from Yonsei University (Korea), and completed the Executive Education Program of Digital Transformation in Government at Harvard Kennedy School (USA).
The digital transformation of the manufacturing sector in Latin America and the Caribbean is key to more sustainable economic development and higher productivity and inclusion in the global economy. A study conducted by IDB Invest with 35 local companies helps us understand where we are and where we want to go.
Agribusiness presents a great opportunity to increase value creation in a sector that is two to three times more effective at reducing poverty than any other, including manufacturing and services.
Latin America and the Caribbean is in prime position to step in and alleviate global food shortages as climate change looms as a global threat, particularly if the region leverages digital solutions, a new report developed by IDB Invest in collaboration with Accenture shows.
Korea's digital transformation has been effective in responding to the pandemic and helping sustain economic and social development. Korea’s experiences regarding digital transformation provide insights for Latin America and the Caribbean.