Developing countries cannot view the digital transition as a luxury, but as a necessity if cities and countries wish to be a part of the new global economy. To support this transition governments, donors and the private sector each have a role to play, and key actions for each stakeholder group are set out in the ICED report ‘Urbanisation in a digital world’. In addition to stakeholder-focused recommendations for donors, policy makers and investors, a step change in how cities approach digital innovation is needed. This will require collaborative innovation and the following four recommendations were viewed by authors as key to unlocking a future of continuous innovation at city-level.