From International Development Economics to Responsible Quantum Governance: A Human-Centered Journey

My journey into the responsible governance of quantum information and communication technologies (QICT) did not begin in a physics lab or computer science department.

It began in the field of international economic development, where I spent more than a decade working as a public-interest researcher studying how economic systems, institutions, and policies shape sustainable development outcomes for the Global Majority.

Over the years, my work has spanned transdisciplinary research and policy environments, examining how structural forces—from global economic systems and infrastructure development to technology diffusion and institutional governance—shape development trajectories.

One lesson became increasingly clear: development challenges are rarely purely economic or technical. They are deeply structural, systemic, and institutional, shaped by historical legacies, institutions, and, increasingly in the 21st century, by the governance, access, and use of information and communication technologies (ICT).

This realization led me to engage with questions surrounding sustainable digital transformation (SDX) and the governance of emerging digital technologies (EDTs), including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), extended reality (XR), the Internet of Things (IoT), next-generation networking (5G/6G), and more recently QICT, including quantum computing, communication networks, and sensing.

Lessons from Sustainable Development, Innovation, and ICT4D

Development economics ultimately asks how societies can create the conditions for people to live healthy, productive, and meaningful lives—an idea closely aligned with the human development and capabilities approach. A perspective that is is closely connected to the concept of sustainable development, commonly defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development rests on three interconnected pillars:

1. Economic development — enabling innovation, productivity, and prosperity

2. Social inclusion — ensuring opportunities and benefits are distributed equitably

3. Environmental sustainability — protecting the natural systems that sustain long-term development

   
   

Within development economics, innovation and technological change have long been recognized as central drivers of economic transformation. From Schumpeter’s concept of creative destruction, where new technologies disrupt existing industries while generating new opportunities for growth to Romer’s theory of endogenous growth, which emphasizes the importance of human capital, research, and knowledge creation in expanding the stock of ideas that drive sustained economic growth — I developed a crucial theoretical foundation: industrial revolutions, innovation, and technological transitions do not occur in a vacuum; They emerge within broader innovation ecosystems shaped by institutions, policies,  critical information infrastructure (CII) and knowledge networks. Countries that successfully transform their economies do not simply adopt technologies; they build the institutional capacity, human capital, and governance systems necessary to create, adapt, and leverage technologies to diffuse innovation.

I further expanded my strong foundation on  innovation and technological transitions in developing countries as I became immersed in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D). ICT4D research has shown that the development impact of digitalisation and datafication depends not only on technological adoption but also on institutional capacity, governance frameworks, and local innovation ecosystems, without enabling conditions, EDT risk reinforcing existing inequalities rather than reducing them.

I applied the ICT4D conceptual framework in the co-development of many knowledge products such as the African Union Data Policy Framework , Why the G20 should lead Multilateral Reform for Inclusive Responsible AI Governance for the Global South, and The IEEE Planet Positive 2030 Initiative. Strong Sustainability by Design: Prioritizing Ecosystem and Human Flourishing with Technology-Based Solutions, to name a few.

My experience working from ICT4D to AI4D has fundamentally shaped how I approach EDT governance. ICT systems are not neutral tools. They are embedded within economic systems, institutional structures, and global power dynamics.

The manner in which ICT are designed, financed, and governed often reflects and sometimes amplifies existing multidimensional inequalities between countries, firms, and social groups, since they inherently embody ethical, social, and political values through their design, deployment, and use.

Beyond knowledge products I also participated in multistakeholder expert groups to advance human centered governance for the digital economy and information society such as :

• European Union Digital-for-Development (D4D) Hub — Ongoing engagement on human-centered digital transformation as former chair and current member of the Civil Society and Academia Advisory Group (CSAAG).

  
  

• Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Policy Network on AI (PNAI) — Participation as a multi-stakeholder expert developing practical actions for human-rights-based, interoperable, and sustainable AI governance.

Building Human-Centered Responsible QICT Governance

Over the past several years, my work has increasingly focused on leveraging my theoretical foundation as a development economist to advancing human-centered approaches to EDT. For example, in a conversation with the Partnership on AI, I explored how AI governance must acknowledge the broader institutional and historical contexts in which technologies operate, including research agendas, CII, technical standards, policy frameworks, and global governance, to name a few.

The insights I gained working on the 2021 UNCTAD Digital Economy Report highlighted the dynamic nature of the data-driven digital economy —from the evolution of the data-related divide adding to the traditional digital divide, towards the impending quantum divide.

My ongoing research reflects more than a decade of transdisciplinary research, collaboration, and policy advocacy connecting development economics, ICT4D, Internet governance and now human centered QICT governance. A trajectory that includes contributions across several initiatives and publications:

• In the Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group Winter 2025 , Special Issue. "Navigating the Influences of Human-Centered Computing on Policy Innovation". I highlight that while Human-Centered Computing (HCC) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) provide important frameworks for navigating the ethical, legal, societal, and policy implications (ESLPI ) of EDT, they are not sufficient on their own to address the systemic governance challenges posed by emerging technologies such as QICT.

  
  

• At the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20)  I participated in sessions in 2024 and 2025 that emphasized the need for human-centred responsible QICT governance, my 2025 participation was also the launch of the UNESCO issue brief I co-authored on "Human Rights Centered Global Governance of Quantum Technologies: Advancing Information for All" .

  
  

Collectively my experiences have helped shape my work in the emerging field of human-centered responsible quantum governance.

Learning from Past ICT Transformations towards Quantum for Good

Seen through this lens, my work across ICT4D, transnational AI governance, and now Quantum for Good (Q4G) reflects the broader evolution of multilateral ICT-enabled technology-for-development initiatives spearheaded by the international telecommunications union (ITU) . Early ICT4D efforts focused on expanding connectivity and digital inclusion. The next phase—captured in initiatives such as AI for Good began addressing the societal implications of algorithmic systems and data-driven governance. Today, emerging discussions around Q4G championed within the ITU ecosystem, signal the next frontier of sustainable digital transformation.

Each wave of ICT-enabled technological change expands both the opportunities and governance challenges facing societies. For me, this trajectory reinforces a central insight: ensuring that EDT contribute to human flourishing and sustainable (digital) development requires moving beyond technoscience ethics not grounded in ICT and  generic Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) towards ecosystem-level RRI for ICT , that matches context of QICT ecosystems.

QICT are often described as the next frontier of the digital economy and information society. Yet history reminds us that every ICT-enabled technological transition—from the internet to mobile communications and cloud computing—has generated opportunities, risks, and challenges.

By bedding ethical reflection, inclusive participation, and anticipatory governance across entire digital innovation ecosystems—from research agendas to global standards-setting—we can better ensure that the next generation of digital infrastructures, including QICT, are developed responsibly to support equitable, sustainable, and human-centered digital development for the Global Majority.

Looking Ahead

My journey from international development economics to human centered QICT governance has reinforced a central lesson:

Innovation alone does not drive SDX. What matters is how innovation ecosystems are structured, how knowledge diffuses across societies, and whether governance systems enable inclusive participation in digital transformation.

Emerging governance of QICT will shape the CII and ICT ecosystems of the future.

The challenge before us is not simply technological. It's ensuring that these evolved ecosystems and infrastructure contribute to sustainable development, and peaceful digital futures—for people and the planet, regardless of the body or place you happen to find yourself in.

The real question is not simply what EDT can achieve. It's whether we can learn from previous ICT-enabled transitions to design responsible digital ecosystems that promote inclusive prosperity, human dignity, and sustainable development.

As we navigate the algorithmic age, I look forward to continuing this journey—working with researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to advance evidence-based research and collaboration that supports human-centered, anticipatory quantum governance.