On January 20, 2026, at the margins of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the Digi Americas Alliance organized a roundtable – which was hosted by Google – on ‘Cybersecurity and Inclusive Growth: Strengthening Digital Economies in Emerging Markets.’ The discussion focused on practical strategies for fostering digital trust and strengthening digital economies, focusing on data privacy, transparency, and geopolitical realities. The following report summarizes the insights, strategies, and recommendations discussed at the event.
Insights
The high-level roundtable opened with a shared acknowledgment that cybersecurity has become a core geopolitical and economic issue for emerging markets. Opening perspectives emphasized that trust in digital ecosystems is increasingly shaped by global power dynamics, cross-border data flows, and the security of critical infrastructure. Participants noted that cybersecurity decisions are no longer purely technical or commercial; they are deeply intertwined with national sovereignty, foreign policy, and strategic autonomy. As emerging markets accelerate digital transformation, leaders face growing pressure to balance openness and innovation with the need to protect sensitive data, national infrastructure, and economic independence in an increasingly fragmented global digital environment.
The first session focused on cybersecurity as an economic and strategic opportunity amid geopolitical uncertainty. Participants discussed how resilient and secure digital infrastructure can enhance national competitiveness while reducing exposure to external dependencies. The conversation highlighted the reality that investment, innovation, and market access are increasingly influenced by a country’s ability to manage cyber risk and safeguard data. Panelists emphasized that sectors such as fintech, digital public services, health, and energy are not only engines of growth but also critical infrastructure assets that require heightened protection. The discussion underscored that cybersecurity investments can help countries assert greater control over their digital economies, strengthen investor confidence, and reduce vulnerability to geopolitical shocks, including supply-chain disruptions and state-sponsored cyber activity. Embedding secure-by-design principles was seen as essential to ensuring that digital growth does not come at the expense of national resilience.
The session then turned to global cooperation and policy alignment in a world marked by strategic competition and divergent regulatory models. Participants explored how emerging markets often face difficult choices when navigating competing international frameworks, technology providers, and standards regimes. Issues of data sovereignty, cross-border data transfers, and regulatory fragmentation were featured prominently, with many noting that inconsistent or externally imposed models can strain domestic capacity and limit policy autonomy. At the same time, participants stressed that isolation is not a viable option. International cooperation, particularly through multilateral institutions and trusted public-private partnerships, was identified as critical to sharing threat intelligence, building capacity, and maintaining interoperability without sacrificing national priorities. Regulatory alignment with global norms, when adapted to local contexts, was viewed as a way to reduce geopolitical risk while enabling secure participation in the global digital economy.
The roundtable concluded with a call to action centered on pragmatic, informed cybersecurity strategies. Participants emphasized the importance of strengthening national institutions, developing local cyber talent, and investing in resilient infrastructure that supports both economic growth and strategic autonomy. Closing remarks reinforced that cybersecurity is now a strategic lever for navigating global uncertainty. By integrating cybersecurity into economic planning, foreign policy considerations, and digital development agendas, emerging markets can build trust, safeguard sovereignty, and position themselves as resilient and credible actors in an increasingly contested digital landscape.
Participants shared their views on potential recommendations for emerging markets
- Position Cybersecurity as an Economic Enabler: Integrate cybersecurity into national economic and digital development strategies to strengthen investor confidence, support innovation, and enable scalable growth across sectors such as fintech, health, e-commerce, and digital public services.
- Strengthen Institutional and Human Capacity: Invest in workforce development, technical training, and public awareness to close cyber capacity gaps, ensuring governments, businesses, and citizens have the skills needed to securely participate in the digital economy.
- Build Resilient, Secure-by-Design Digital Infrastructure: Prioritize secure-by-design principles in digital infrastructure and public platforms to reduce systemic risk, lower long-term costs, and embed trust into digital services from the outset.
- Promote Regulatory Alignment and Policy Flexibility: Align national cybersecurity frameworks with international standards while maintaining adaptable, innovation-friendly policies that allow emerging markets to respond to evolving technologies and threat landscapes.
- Enable Cross-Border Cooperation and Information Sharing: Strengthen mechanisms for international cooperation, including intelligence sharing and joint capacity-building initiatives, to address transnational cyber threats and reduce fragmentation across digital markets.
- Link Cybersecurity Investment to Inclusive Growth: Ensure cybersecurity policies and investments support equitable access to digital services, helping small businesses, startups, and underserved communities participate safely and confidently in the digital economy.
- Invest in Trusted Digital Identity Systems: Develop secure, interoperable, and privacy-preserving digital identity frameworks that enable safe access to digital services, support financial inclusion, and strengthen trust between governments, businesses, and citizens, while respecting national sovereignty and data protection requirements.
Next Steps
- March 23-26: Digi Americas Gatherings around RSA
- April/May: Launch of Critical Infrastructure Paper.
- June/July: Launch of Child Online Protection Paper.
- June/July: Towards a Common Cyber Language in Merida, Mexico.
- September: High-level Roundtable on the Margins of UNGA.
- September 10-12, 2026: The Digi Americas Alliance will host its LATAM CISO Summit in Cancun, Mexico. The Summit will include the participation of the Secretariat of Economy and the Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency of Mexico. Representatives from Alliance Members and high-level executives from the region are expected to participate.
Participants
- Matt Renner — President, Google Cloud
- Rich Verma — Chief Administrative Officer, Mastercard
- Alicia Krebs — Chief of Staff, Mastercard
- Altagracia Gómez — Coordinator of the Business Advisory Council, Government of Mexico
- Florian Schütz — National Cyber Director, Swiss National Cyber Security Centre
- Chris Painter — Former United States State Department Top Cyber Officer
- Helmut Reisinger — CEO, Palo Alto Networks
- Andrew Shikiar — CEO, FIDO Alliance
- Lisa Kaplan — CEO, Alethea Group
- Mauricio Benavides — CEO, Batuta
- Rodrigo Assumpção — President, Dataprev
- Belisario Contreras — Executive Director, Digi Americas
- Thomas Delaet — Chief Product Officer, SWIFT
- Drew Bagley — Chief Privacy Officer, CrowdStrike
- Edward Mermelstein — Board of Overseers (former NYC Commissioner for International Affairs)
- Melike Yetken — Head of International Organizations, Google
- Vince Voci — Head of Public Policy, Cloudflare
- Liga Rozentale — Director for Public Policy, EMEA/International, CrowdStrike
Pictures
