Telecommunications, Media and Technology Sector Strategy 2025-29

Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) is at the heart of the digital transformation impacting all EBRD countries of operation.

The TMT sector provides the necessary digital infrastructure for connectivity and data storage, as well as the technologies changing how people participate in economies, interact with each other, access services and engage with government entities. While the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of data use worldwide, it also provided a stark reminder of inequalities in access to high-speed internet.

The digital economy is an important driver of economic growth, with over 70 per cent of new economic value created over the next decade expected to be based on digitally enabled business models. As technology increasingly penetrates into more areas of everyday life, reducing the digital divide and using those technologies will remain a key EBRD priority, in alignment with the Bank’s Equality of Opportunity Strategy and Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality. At the same time, thorough cybersecurity measures will be required to ensure the resilience of digital infrastructure.

Digital infrastructure and technology are also critical enablers in the transition to a low-carbon economy, including by improving network operations and helping advance green technologies. However, rising data use can create environmental impacts, and to address this the EBRD will continue to ensure investments are aligned with its evolving Green Economy Transition approach and the Paris Agreement, that they support the use of renewable energy and contribute to the application and development of green technologies.

The EBRD's TMT 2025-29 Sector Strategy strengthens the Bank’s focus on investing in digital infrastructure and tech-enabled products and services, which are mutually reinforcing parts of an integrated digital landscape. Resilient and competitive networks are necessary for sustainable and inclusive economic development, while also fostering innovation and catalysing digital entrepreneurship. The strategy is also a reflection of the sector’s key role as a delivery mechanism for the EBRD’s Strategic and Capital Framework and the essential role played by digitalisation in the Bank’s broader transition mandate.