UNDP Supports Mauritius in advancing a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy through Broad Stakeholder Engagement

March 13, 2026

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Port Louis, Mauritius — The United Nations Development Programme is supporting the Government of Mauritius in the formulation of its National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, a milestone initiative aimed at positioning Mauritius as a technology and innovation hub for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) while leveraging AI to accelerate sustainable development, strengthen public services, and drive economic innovation.

As part of this process, UNDP facilitated consultations with a wide range of stakeholders across the Mauritian ecosystem. These engagements brought together representatives from the energy and infrastructure sectors, telecom operators, technology providers, academia, SMEs, the startup community, the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC), the Economic Development Board (EDB), the health and financial sectors, education institutions, the national AI Unit and the InfoHighway platform responsible for data exchange across government.

The consultations were conducted under UNDP’s AI Landscape Assessment (AILA) methodology, which helps countries evaluate their readiness to adopt and scale artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively.

A Vision for Mauritius as a SIDS Technology Hub

Mauritius is uniquely positioned to become a trusted technology hub for Small Island Developing States, leveraging its strong digital governance, financial services ecosystem, and innovation-driven economy. Artificial intelligence presents a transformative opportunity for Mauritius to strengthen its role as a regional leader in responsible digital innovation, while sharing lessons and solutions with other SIDS facing similar development challenges.

Several sectors are already at the frontier of AI adoption, particularly financial services and healthcare. In finance, AI has the potential to enhance fraud detection, compliance monitoring, and financial inclusion. In healthcare, AI-enabled solutions could support diagnostics, health system planning, and improved service delivery. The strategic adoption of AI across these sectors could significantly improve efficiency, resilience, and service quality while unlocking new opportunities for economic growth.

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Strategic Priorities Emerging from the AI Landscape Assessment

Stakeholder discussions highlighted several priority areas, with a strong focus on data, computing infrastructure, and talent development.

Strengthening AI Talent and Skills

Mauritius has a strong pipeline of technology graduates from universities and training institutions. However, stakeholders emphasized the importance of expanding applied AI expertise and industry-ready skills, particularly in areas such as machine learning engineering, data science, and AI integration. It was recommended that industry-academia partnerships, applied training programs, and workforce upskilling initiatives should be prioritized.

Expanding Data Foundations for AI

Participants emphasized that data is a critical enabler for AI innovation. Building on existing digital infrastructure such as the InfoHighway platform, focus could be on strengthening data interoperability, data governance, and secure data-sharing frameworks to support responsible AI applications across sectors.

Developing AI Compute and Digital Infrastructure

Consultations with energy and infrastructure stakeholders highlighted the importance of ensuring adequate computing capacity and high-density digital infrastructure to support AI workloads. Several pathways could be explored to strengthen Mauritius’ AI compute capabilities, while aligning infrastructure development with national energy planning and opportunities for sustainable and green computing.

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Supporting Innovation and AI Entrepreneurship

Mauritius’ growing fintech sector, startup ecosystem, and global connectivity provide strong foundations to position the country as a regional hub for trusted AI innovation. AI experimentation environments, startup ecosystems, and investment incentives should be enabled for SMEs and entrepreneurs to develop and scale AI-driven solutions.

Moving Toward Implementation

Through this collaboration, UNDP will continue supporting Mauritius in the formulation of the Mauritius’ National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, alongside the development of a roadmap for implementation and an investment map to guide priority initiatives and partnerships and build a trusted, inclusive, and sustainable AI ecosystem, reinforcing the country’s ambition to become a leading digital innovation hub for SIDS and the wider region while advancing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.