The Investment Policy Framework for Digital Transformation identifies the policies, institutions, instruments and practices needed to mobilise international investment that supports digital transformation. It provides a pragmatic tool to diagnose policy gaps and opportunities. The framework is organised around four building blocks – governance, regulatory framework, technical and financial support, and information and facilitation – that bring together diverse policy domains, including investment, competition, cross-border data flows, trade and investment agreements, skills development, and responsible business conduct, into a coherent approach to ensure that international investment effectively supports digital transformation.
The framework draws on OECD investment instruments that guide governments in attracting more, better, and safe FDI. Its principles and policy questions are grounded in evidence from OECD tools and databases – such as the FDI Qualities Initiative, FDI Regulatory Restrictiveness Index, Investment Tax Incentives Database, and Mapping of Investment Promotion Agencies – as well as from cross-cutting frameworks like the OECD Going Digital Integrated Policy Framework, ensuring a whole‑of-economy and society approach to realising the promises of digital transformation for all.
The framework incorporates comments received from the OECD Investment Committee, the FDI Qualities Policy Network, and FDI Qualities Advisory Group. It also benefits from comments from OECD Directorates (Directorate for Science, Technology, and Innovation; Trade and Agriculture Directorate; Directorate for Employment, labour and Social Affairs; Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities; Centre for Tax Policy and Administration); OECD stakeholder bodies (BIAC, TUAC); and international organisations and global and regional foras (APEC, IFC, ILO, UNCTAD, WEF). The development of the framework was supported by concrete country examples derived from a mapping of policies and institutions and from in-depth country assessments of Morocco, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
The framework was prepared by a team led by Stratos Kamenis and comprising Irina Grigoryeva and Nunzia Saporito, under the supervision of Fares-Al-Hussami, Head of FDI Qualities and Impact Team in the Sustainable Investment Unit of the Investment Division, Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs (DAF). Overall guidance was provided by Ana Novik, Head of the Investment Division, and Martin Wermelinger, Deputy Head of the Investment Division and Head of the Sustainable Investment Unit. Nicolas Rosselot of the International Investment Governance Unit of the Investment Division and Rashad Abelson of the Centre for Responsible Business Conduct in DAF provided instrumental contributions on specific sections of the framework. In DAF, Carolina Abate, Katharina Bohme, Tihana Bule, Alexandre de Crombrugghe, Hélène Francois, Iris Mantovani, Fernando Mistura, Letizia Montinari, Clemente Rojas Giacobbe, Juan Rodrigo, Ana Laura Sobalbarro, and Mamiko Yokoi-Arai provided substantive inputs and comments. Liv Gudmundson and Lucinda Pearson prepared the document for publication.
The work on investment and digital transformation was financially supported by Switzerland. The broader FDI Qualities Initiative is financially supported by the Netherlands and Switzerland.